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The states duty and the citizens duty are very nicely explained in this verse. The activities of the government head, or king, as well as the activities of the citizens, should be so directed that ultimately everyone engages in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The king, or government head, is supposed to be the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is therefore supposed to see that things go on nicely and that the citizens are situated in the scientific social order comprised of four varnas and four asramas. In the Visnu Purana it is stated that unless people are educated or situated in the scientific social order comprised of four varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra) and four asramas (brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa), society can never be considered real human society, nor can it make any advancement towards the ultimate goal of human life. It is the duty of the government to see that things go on in terms of varna and asrama. As stated herein, bhagavan yajna-purusahthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the yajna-purusa. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (5.29): bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. Krsna is the ultimate purpose of all sacrifice. He is also the enjoyer of all sacrifices; therefore He is known as yajna-purusa. The word yajna-purusa indicates Lord Visnu or Lord Krsna, or any Personality of Godhead in the category of visnu-tattva. In perfect human society, people are situated in the orders of varna and asrama and are engaged in worshiping Lord Visnu by their respective activities. Every citizen engaged in an occupation renders service by the resultant actions of his activities. That is the perfection of life. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.46): (More...) Instructions for a perfect cultural system are given in Srimad-Bhagavatam. At a meeting in the forest of Naimisaranya, where many learned scholars and brahmanas had assembled and Srila Suta Gosvami was giving instructions, he stressed the varnasrama social system (atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah). The Vedic culture organizes society into four varnas [occupational divisions] and four asramas [spiritual stages of life]. As mentioned before, the varnas are the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra. The asramas are the brahmacari-asrama [celibate student life], grhastha-asrama [family life], vanaprastha-asrama [retired life], and sannyasa-asrama [renounced life]. Unless we take to this institution of varnasrama-dharma, the whole society will be chaotic. (More...) Sthane sthitah means the varnasrama, four varnas and four asramas. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, and four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. So this is civilization. Unless the society is divided into these eight divisions, that is animal civilization. That is not human civilization. You must be systematized, regulated system. Just like in this body there are different divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, and the leg division. Similarly, without these four divisions, no society can be conducted very nicely. Then it will be chaos. So sthane sthitah means to remain in these regulative principles of varnasrama. That is called sthane sthitah. You remain in your position. It doesn't require you have to change. It is not that a sudra, without becoming a brahmana... Of course, sudra will become brahmanaby hearing. Brahmana means brahma janatiti brahmanah. If he hears, even a sudra, he can understand what is Brahman. Then he becomes brahmana. So this is required. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. With great attention, body, mind and words, intelligencewith everything, one must hear. (More...) Those who are pure devoteesavyabhicareni, anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11]such persons are above this material infection. So therefore he doesn't require to accept sannyasa or brahmacari. He doesn't... These are gradual processes, to come to the varnasrama system, then accept the varna and asramas, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. This is called varnasrama system. But this is the beginning of human life. One who does not take to this system, he's animal because animal, there is no such system. And because in this age the varnasrama is not observed, therefore men are like animals. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah. Dharma means this varnasrama-dharma. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. So if the human society does not accept dharma, then he's as good as animal. (More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=1359 Previous: [none] Next: [none]
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