Chapter 20 - The Duties of the Four Varṇas

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1. O Lord! Expound to me the Ekānta Dharma as approved by you, whereby the Universal Soul, Vāsudeva, gets always pleased.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa replied:

2. O Brāhmaṇa, you have asked very well. Certainly your intellect is pure. I shall tell even a secret to you, a devotee who are attached to me.

3. At the beginning of the Kalpa this Dharma was proclaimed by me to Vivasvān. I shall communicate that very ancient Dharma to you, O sage.

4. That is verily the Ekāntika Dharma which is undivided devotion exclusively to the Lord as it is to Lakṣmī and is accompanied by the knowledge of one’s own Dharma and disaffection to objects of worldly enjoyment.

5. Thereby the ruler of Goloka himself becomes extremely pleased, and even the devotee has all his wishes fully accomplished.

Nārada asked:

6. I have a desire to know separately the characteristics of Svadharma (personal duties) from you who are the source of Śāstras. It behoves you to relate them to me.

7. You alone are the root (source of origin) of all Vedas, Āgamas and Śāstras including the eternal Dharma, O good Lord.

8. You alone are the Lord Vāsudeva incarnate, who is beyond the perishable (objects). You, a store of mercy, stay here for the welfare of all beings.

9. God Brahmā and others who are other than you, are controlled by their respective natural Guṇas. They do not know Dharma and oṃer (related things) as they truly are. Hence narrate it (to me).

Skanda said:

10. Lord Nārāyaṇa, the omniscient son of Dharma, who was thus asked by the Divine sages (Narada), narrated to him in due order, the personal Dharma etc.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa said:

11. The moral conduct is different for (different) Varṇas (castes) and stages of life. That is called Svadharma and is general as well as special.

12. At first listen to the Dharma (duty) common to all men.^[1] Noninjury (Ahiṃsā) is proclaimed to be the first supreme duty.

13. (Obscure) Among one’s main moral inclinations what is called absence of ill will even of the mental type, in a provocative situation, towards any living being, is known as Ahiṃsā or non-injury.

14. Truth is that speech whereby no injury is caused to living beings. Penance is characterised by the diminution (reduction in) of the enjoyment (of objects) permitted by the scriptures.

15. Purification is of two types, external and internal. Non-taking of what belongs to others either in his absence or by deceit (is nonstealth).

16-21. Proper celibacy; restraint of the passions or desires, greed and anger; gladly donating wealth to a suitable person; satisfaction with what one gets through luck; total renunciation of injury at holy places or in sacrifices and other religious acts or for obtaining the four ends of human life either for one’s self or for others; avoidance of acts which cause fall from one’s caste; restraint of (movement of) hands and fed, stomach (i.e. eating), the organ of generation (sex) and speech; avoidance of wine and meat and all vices; abstaining from adultery; observance of the traditional good practices of one’s family; observance of fast along with the (prescribed ten restraints) on the eleventh day of the dark and bright half of the month; proper observance of the specific Vrata of the birthday of Hari; straightforwardness; service of saints; taking food after its distribution (as per prescribed rules); acts of devotion unto the Lord—These are duties common to all men.^[2]

22. Brāhamaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śūdras—These are spoken as the four Varṇas (Castes). I shall now narrate the specific duties of each to you, O sage.

23. The natural duties of a Brāhmaṇa are quiescence,^[3] self-control, forgiveness, purity, faith in Vedas, devotion to the Lord, penance, knowledge of Brahman and worldly knowledge.

24. The following are declared as the duties of Kṣatriyas: Bravery (i.e. performance of acts of bravery); courage; generosity; strength; dignity; fitness to be a refuge; protection of cows, Brāhmaṇas and saints; performance of sacrifices.

25. The duties of a king are as follows: Protecting the subjects; establishing Dharma on the earth; and administering punishment to those who deserve it.

26. The duties of a Vaiśya are: faith in the Vedas; doing acts of charity; rendering service to saintly persons and Brāhmaṇas; non-satisfaction in acquisition of wealth; and assiduous efforts.

27. O excellent sages, the specific duty of a Śūdra as proclaimed is: faithful (without any fraud or deceit) service of twice-born castes, Devas and cows.

28. The means of livelihood prescribed for a Brāhmaṇa are: teaching, performance of sacrifices, acceptance of a gift from a pure person. Out of these, the last is laid down in case of adversity.

29-30. Four types of other means of livelihood are prescribed for an excellent Brāhmaṇa who finds fault with performance of sacrifice and teaching (as means of livehood). (They are) gleaning ears of com, constant mendicancy, settled householdership and proper agriculture. It should be noted by excellent Brāhmaṇas that herein the preceding one (i.e. mode of livelihood) is more conducive to welfare than the succeeding one.

31. In case of an emergency^[4] a Brāmaṇa should maintain himself by adopting the mode of livelihood of a Vaiśya or that of a Kṣatriya but never the mode of a dog (Cāṇḍāla?).

32. A Kṣatriya should earn his living by weapons (military profession) while protecting Dharma. In emergency he should follow the means of livelihood of a Vaiśya or should move about in the guise of a Brāhmaṇa.

33. The means of living for a king is declared to be collection of taxes, except from Brāhmaṇas, and from other sources, after keeping contented all the subjects according to the exigencies of time and place.

34. Even in emergency, the service of a low person is totally prohibited to Kṣatriyas and Brāhmaṇas, as that reduces one’s lustre.

35. In the case of a Vaiśya the mode of livelihood is spoken (as consisting of) agriculture, trade and commerce and tending of cows and lending money on interest as the fourth, but in emergency he may follow the Śūdra mode of livelihood.

36. A Śudra should maintain himself on the money earned by service rendered to twice-born castes. In emergency he should follow the mode of livelihood of artisans etc.

37. When all of them become free after averting the emergency, they should perform the expiation proper for them and again take up their respective main vocations as means of livelihood.

38. (Persons belonging to) the four castes should associate themselves with saintly people and never with bad people. Association with the good leads to liberation, while company with evil persons leads to hell.

39. Those who, having subdued erotic passion, anger, taste for flavours, pride, jealousy, hypocrisy, are the devotees of Viṣṇu, are regarded as saintly persons.

40. Those who are addicted to sexual pleasure in the company of women, greedy after wealth, murderous, self-conceited through hyprocrisy and who pose to be devotees, are bad people.

41. Having ascertained that by nature Asura type of prosperity is (found) among bad people and the Deva type of affluence is (seen) among the good, good and saintly persons should be resorted to and served by those desirous of happiness.

42. The intellect (of a person) assumes a shape in accordance with the kind of Śāstras (scriptures) and people he associates with. Hence no association should be had with bad people (and heretic scriptures).

43. To persons who like to render service to saintly persons, any type of superior affluence or excellent power or divine faculties are not unobtainable through dint of their power.

44. Men who, though established in their Dharma, bear malice to saintly persons, shall never attain a happy state or beatitude anywhere by performing any act.

45. If devotees of Viṣṇu who are devoted to the great worship (of the god) bear hatred towards saintly persons, he (Viṣṇu) will never be propitious unto them.

46. In whatever species the haters of saintly people are born after death, they will be harassed with hunger and disease throughout their life (up to death).

47. Merely by doing disrespect to good (saintly) people, there is an instantaneous annihilation even of a mass of merit, (span of) life and wealth of all people.

48. Therefore, service should be rendered to saintly persons by all those who desire happiness. Sacred places should be resorted to Brāhmaṇas and cows should be worshipped.

49. Those evil-minded people who denigrate holy places and idols of gods, are bastards and will certainly have exinction of their family line.

50. If one Brāhmaṇa is satisfied by receiving excellent meal, Dakṣiṇā and other things, the whole world is satisfied. Hari himself is pleased with him.

51. If one Brāhmaṇa is harmed (it is as good as) the whole world is hurt. Therefore, Brāhmaṇas who are (this-worldly) forms of Viṣṇu shall be worshipped and honoured according to one’s capacity.^[5]

52. Even all multitudes of Devas abide in the limbs (body) of cows. All holy places exist in them.

53. When one cow is worshipped, all Devas get worshipped and all sacred places get visited, O Nārada.

54. If out of mistake or negligence, hurt or injury is caused to one cow anywhere, all the deities are hurt and holy places are damaged.

55. Therefore, people born in the four Varṇas should behave as per injunctions and should abstain from what is prohibited.

56. Those who are beyond the pale of four Varṇas, their conduct conforming to their family requirements will be conducive to their welfare if it is devoid of unrighteousness like stealing, violence etc.

57. Thus the duties of Varṇas have been briefly proclaimed by me, O sage. Now, I shall tell you the duties of the four stages of life (Āśramas).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. ahiṃsā satyam asteyaṃ śaucam indriyanigrahaḥ /
evaṃ sāmāsikaṃ dharmaṃ cāturvarṇye bravīn manuḥ //
     (Manu X.63)

[2]:

There is a close similarity in the items included in Sādhāraṇa Dharmas (duties common to all men) in ancient texts like Viṣṇu Dharma Sūtra, 11.16-17; Āpastaṃba Dh.S. 1.8.23-6; Mbh, Śānti 60.7-8,297.24-25; Brahma P. 114.16-18. The speciality of our Pāñcarātra text is the inclusion of the Ekādaśī Vrata and observance of the birthday of Hari (e.g. Gokula Aṣṭamī).

[3]:

VV 23-27; cf. BG XVIII. 42-44.

[4]:

For Āpad Dharmas (i.e. duties in emergency) cf HD II.i, pp. 118-30.

[5]:

This deification of Brāhmaṇas is found in Vedic times also, e.g. ete vai devāḥ pratyakṣaṃ yad brāhmaṇāḥ (Taittirīya Saṃhitā 1.7.3.1). Also cī. Śatapatha XII.4.46; Tait. Āraṇyaka 11.15.