View source for In this age of Kali when there is no social structure or varnasrama-dharma, how can one discriminate how he is utilizing his energies for his prescribed duties?

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{{compiler|Labangalatika}}
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[[Category:Kali-yuga]]
[[Category:Social]]
[[Category:Structure]]
[[Category:Varnasrama]]
[[Category:Dharma]]
[[Category:Discrimination]]
[[Category:How]]
[[Category:Utilize]]
[[Category:Energy]]
[[Category:Prescribed Duties]]
[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG31830LosAngelesDecember301968_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="124" link="Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968">
<div class="heading">You have come to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before coming to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, were you in varṇāśrama-dharma? No. Everyone is varṇa-saṅkara. Therefore this is the panacea, to engage everyone in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. He comes above the highest principle of brahmanism.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968|Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, in this age of Kali when there is no social structure or varṇāśrama-dharma, how can one discriminate how he is utilizing his energies for his prescribed duties? How can one determine his prescribed duties, as Lord Kṛṣṇa has described here, for Arjuna to follow his prescribed duties.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Before coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness were you in the varṇāśrama? Then how you have come? How you have come to this position?</p>
<p>Madhudviṣa: Out of misery.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, no. You have come to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before coming to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, were you in varṇāśrama-dharma? No. So at the present moment, there is no possibility of persons following the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, either here or anywhere. Everyone is varṇa-saṅkara. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age, everyone is a śūdra. Nobody is brāhmaṇa, nobody is kṣatriya, nobody is vaiśya. Śūdra. So in this age, you won't find anybody following the varṇāśrama-dharma.</p>
<p>Therefore this is the panacea, to engage everyone in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. He comes above the highest principle of brahmanism. This is the greatest gift to the humanity, that even he is in the, I mean to say, fallen condition, the most degraded position, he can be raised to the highest position simply by chanting. This is the only remedy. Now you cannot again introduce this system of varṇāśrama. It is not possible. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically he becomes immediately a brāhmaṇa and above the brāhmaṇa. A Vaiṣṇava is above the brāhmaṇa.</p>
<p>Just like when we initiate, give Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he is supposed to be above the all material modes of nature. And when he has practiced, we offer him the sacred thread. This is the prescription of this age. Otherwise, you cannot select who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra, who is kṣatriya. It is very difficult. Only one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he comes to the transcendental platform, and he's above the brāhmaṇas. He is no longer a śūdra, kṣatriya. He's above the brāhmaṇas, a Vaiṣṇava. So this is the only process to raise a person from the lowest position to the highest standard. And that is factual.</p>
<p>Now, take a brāhmaṇa who has come from India and compare his character and the character of our student, how he has become more than a brāhmaṇa, the so-called brāhmaṇa. This is practical. The so-called brāhmaṇas, they have come here, they are doing all nonsense, not following any rules and regulation. But still, they are claiming that they are brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa is not meant like that. Kṛṣṇa says cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13|BG 4.13]]). "The four castes, they are introduced by Me according to quality and work." There is no question of birth. Kṛṣṇa never said birth. Otherwise He would have said cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ janma-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. No. He says guṇa-karma. Guṇa means quality, and karma...</p>
<p>Just like if you have achieved the quality of a medical practitioner, then your work shall be a medical practitioner. Similarly if one has achieved the quality of a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava, then his activities should be like that. If I become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if I work as a butcher, that will not be. You have to work just like a Vaiṣṇava. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. You have to acquire the qualities and work like that. Then it is perfect.</p>
<p>So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people to work for Kṛṣṇa and to qualify himself for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection. Without any consideration of His previous position or qualification or social standard. There is no such thing. Simply if he takes to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and prosecutes nicely according to direction, he becomes the, I mean to say, in transcendental position. Highest position. More than a brāhmaṇa. Yes.</p>
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