The Importance of Daiva-Varnasrama

This is an excerpt from a transcription of a wedding and initiation lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on 29th March, 1971 at Cross Maidan, Bombay.

Prabhupāda:

…yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu
(Garuḍa Purāṇa)

By chanting the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu, one becomes purified in whatever condition he may be. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā: either he is pure or impure; sarvāvasthāṁ gato ‘pi vā: any condition of life, if he chants the holy name of Viṣṇu, then he becomes immediately purified internally and externally.

(break) …on the strength of chanting. This is the greatest offense. It is a fact that when one chants this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, immediately, his past sinful reaction of life immediately ceases. But if he thinks that “Because by chanting, my sinful reaction are counteracted, therefore I may go on committing sinful activities, at the same time chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra,” this is called nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-kaṇḍha 25.16).

One who is continuing sinful activities on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that is the greatest offense. So out of the ten kinds of offenses, as explained by Subala Mahārāja, this is the most important item. One should not commit any sinful activity because he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Go on. Next.

(break) …Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja Prabhupāda. He was creating more brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs for preaching work, but I am creating more gṛhasthas (applause), because in Europe and America the boys and girls intermingle so quickly and intimately that it is very difficult to keep one brahmacārī. So there is no need of artificial brahmacārī. It is sanctioned. My Guru Mahārāja wanted to establish daiva-varṇāśrama.

So married life is called gṛhastha-āśrama. It is as good as sannyāsa-āśrama. Āśrama means where there is bhagavad-bhajana. It doesn’t matter whether one is sannyāsī or one is gṛhastha or a brahmacārī. The main principle is bhagavad-bhajana. But practically also, I may inform you that these married couples, they are helping me very much, because…

For practical example, I may say that one of my Godbrothers, a sannyāsī, he was deputed to go to London for starting a temple. But three or four years he remained there, he could not execute the will; therefore he was called back. Now, I sent six married couples. All of them are present here. And they worked so nicely that within one year we started our London temple, and that is going on very nicely. (applause)

So it is not the question of a brahmacārī, sannyāsī or gṛhastha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya
(CC Madhya 8.128)

It doesn’t matter whether he is a sannyāsī or gṛhastha or brahmacārī. One who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa and preaches all over the world, he is guru, spiritual master. It doesn’t matter.

So in Europe and America I am especially creating more gṛhasthas, families, so that they can take up this movement very seriously and preach, and I am glad to inform you that this process has become very successful. Thank you very much.