Reflections for the Soul: Pearls of Vedic Wisdom Reflections for the Soul: Pearls of Vedic Wisdom | Page 25

Caste System (Cont’d)
The members of the four divisions of human life, namely the
brahmacäré, the gåhastha, the vänaprastha and the sannyäsé, are
all meant to become perfect yogés or transcendentalists. Since
human life is not meant for our enjoying sense gratification like
the animals, the four orders of human life are so arranged that one
may become perfect in spiritual life. - BG 4:26, purport -
Every living entity under the influence of material nature has a
particular type of body and a particular type of psychological and
biological activities accordingly. There are four classes of men
functioning in the three material modes of nature. Those who are
purely in the mode of goodness are called brähmaëas. Those who
are purely in the mode of passion are called kñatriyas. Those who
are in the modes of both passion and ignorance are called vaiçyas.
Those who are completely in ignorance are called çüdras. And
those who are less than that are animals or animal life. However,
these designations are not permanent. I may either be a brähmaëa,
kñatriya , vaiçya or whatever—in any case, this life is temporary.
- BG 7:13, purport -
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