View source for The brahmanas represent the Lord's mouth, the ksatriyas His arms, the vaisyas His abdomen (belly, waist, thighs), and the sudras are born of His legs

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{{terms|"arms"|"brahmanas"|"ksatriyas"|"legs"|"mouth"|"sudras"|"thighs"|"vaisyas"}}
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{{compiler|Labangalatika}}
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[[Category:Intellectual Class - Brahmana]]
[[Category:Represent]]
[[Category:Mouth]]
[[Category:Of The Lord]]
[[Category:Administrative Class - Ksatriya]]
[[Category:His (Krsna)]]
[[Category:Arms]]
[[Category:Mercantile Class - Vaisya]]
[[Category:Thighs]]
[[Category:Laborer Class - Sudra]]
[[Category:Born]]
[[Category:Leg]]
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_2" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 2"><h3>SB Canto 2</h3>
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<div id="SB2537_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_2" book="SB" index="155" link="SB 2.5.37" link_text="SB 2.5.37">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 2.5.37|SB 2.5.37, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">The brāhmaṇas represent His mouth, the kṣatriyas His arms, the vaiśyas His thighs, and the śūdras are born of His legs.</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>All living beings are stated to be the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, and how they are so is explained in this verse. The four divisions of human society, namely the intelligent class (the brāhmaṇas), the administrative class (the kṣatriyas), the mercantile class (the vaiśyas), and the laborer class (the śūdras), are all in different parts of the body of the Lord. As such, no one is different from the Lord. The mouth of the body and the legs of the body are nondifferent constitutionally, but the mouth or the head of the body is qualitatively more important than the legs. At the same time, the mouth, the legs, the arms and the thighs are all component parts of the body. These limbs of the body of the Lord are meant to serve the complete whole.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_3" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 3"><h3>SB Canto 3</h3>
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<div id="SB3630_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_3" book="SB" index="224" link="SB 3.6.30" link_text="SB 3.6.30">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 3.6.30|SB 3.6.30, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), the four orders of human society developed with the order of the body of the gigantic form. The bodily divisions are the mouth, arms, waist and legs. Those who are situated on the mouth are called brāhmaṇas, those who are situated on the arms are called kṣatriyas, those who are situated on the waist are called vaiśyas, and those who are situated on the legs are called śūdras. Everyone is situated in the body of the Supreme in His gigantic viśva-rūpa form. In terms of the four orders, therefore, no caste is to be considered degraded because of being situated on a particular part of the body. In our own bodies we do not show any actual difference in our treatment towards the hands or legs. Each and every part of the body is important, although the mouth is the most important of the bodily parts. If other parts are cut off from the body, a man can continue his life, but if the mouth is cut off, one cannot live. Therefore, this most important part of the body of the Lord is called the sitting place of the brāhmaṇas, who are inclined to the Vedic wisdom.</p>
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<div id="SB3224_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_3" book="SB" index="870" link="SB 3.22.4" link_text="SB 3.22.4">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 3.22.4|SB 3.22.4, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Although individual souls are all different, the Superself, or Supersoul, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Individually one's self may differ from others in certain qualities and may engage in different activities, such as those of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya, but when there is complete cooperation among different individual souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Supersoul, Paramātmā, being one in every individual soul, is pleased and gives them all protection. As stated before, the brāhmaṇas are produced from the mouth of the Lord, and the kṣatriyas are produced from the chest or arms of the Lord. If the different castes or social sections, although apparently differently occupied in different activities, nevertheless act in full cooperation, then the Lord is pleased. This is the idea of the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas. If the members of different āśramas and varṇas cooperate fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then society is well protected by the Lord, without doubt.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
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<div id="SB4644_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="218" link="SB 4.6.44" link_text="SB 4.6.44">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.6.44|SB 4.6.44, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The tendency in this age of Kali to make a classless society and not observe the principles of varṇa and āśrama is a manifestation of an impossible dream. Destruction of the social and spiritual orders will not bring fulfillment of the idea of a classless society. One should strictly observe the principles of varṇa and āśrama for the satisfaction of the creator, for it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by Lord Kṛṣṇa that the four orders of the social system—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—are His creation. They should act according to the regulative principles of this institution and satisfy the Lord, just as different parts of the body all engage in the service of the whole. The whole is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His virāṭ-rūpa, or universal form. The brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are respectively the mouth, arms, abdomen and legs of the universal form of the Lord. As long as they are engaged in the service of the complete whole, their position is secure, otherwise they fall down from their respective positions and become degraded.</p>
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<div id="SB4714_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="241" link="SB 4.7.14" link_text="SB 4.7.14">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.7.14|SB 4.7.14, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Lord Śiva is called paśupati because he protects the living entities in their developed consciousness so that they may follow the Vedic system of varṇa and āśrama. The word paśu refers to the animal as well as to the human entity. It is stated here that Lord Śiva is always interested in protecting the animals and the animalistic living entities, who are not very advanced in the spiritual sense. It is also stated that the brāhmaṇas are produced from the mouth of the Supreme Lord. We should always remember that Lord Śiva is being addressed as the representative of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. In the Vedic literature it is described that the brāhmaṇas are born from the mouth of the universal form of Viṣṇu, the kṣatriyas are born from His arms, the vaiśyas from His abdomen or waist, and the śūdras from His legs. In the formation of a body, the head is the principal factor. The brāhmaṇas are born from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to accept charity for worship of Viṣṇu and to spread Vedic knowledge. Lord Śiva is known as paśupati, the protector of the brāhmaṇas and other living entities. He protects them from the attacks of non-brāhmaṇas, or uncultured persons who are against the self-realization process.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_8" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 8"><h3>SB Canto 8</h3>
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<div id="SB8541_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_8" book="SB" index="142" link="SB 8.5.41" link_text="SB 8.5.41">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 8.5.41|SB 8.5.41, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">The brāhmaṇas and Vedic knowledge come from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the kṣatriyas and bodily strength come from His arms, the vaiśyas and their expert knowledge in productivity and wealth come from His thighs, and the śūdras, who are outside of Vedic knowledge, come from His feet. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full in prowess, be pleased with us.</p>
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