Varṇāśrama-dharma

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam |
mad-bhaktiś ca dayā satyaṁ brahma-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
tejo balaṁ dhṛtiḥ śauryaṁ titikṣaudāryam udyamaḥ |
sthairyaṁ brahmaṇyam aiśvaryaṁ kṣatra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
āstikyaṁ dāna-niṣṭhā ca adambho brahma-sevanam |
atuṣṭir arthopacayair vaiśya-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
śuśrūṣaṇaṁ dvija-gavāṁ devānāṁ cāpy amāyayā |
tatra labdhena santoṣaḥ śūdra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.16–19)

“Equanimity, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, contentment, forbearance, straightforwardness, bhakti to me, compassion, and truthfulness—these are the characteristics of brāhmaṇas. Might, vigor, resolve, valor, tolerance, munificence, endeavor, steadiness, brahmaṇya [i.e., support of brāhmaṇas], and dominion—these are the characteristics of kṣatriyas. Faith (āstikya) [in the śāstra], charitability, non-deceitfulness [i.e., honesty], service to brāhmaṇas, and non-satiation with increases of wealth—these are the characteristics of vaiśyas. Service without deceit to the twice-born, cows, and the devas, and satisfaction with that which is attained thereby—these are the characteristics of śūdras.”

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śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam |
jñānaṁ dayācyutātmatvaṁ satyaṁ ca brahma-lakṣaṇam ||
śauryaṁ vīryaṁ dhṛtis tejas tyāgaś cātma-jayaḥ kṣamā |
brahmaṇyatā prasādaś ca satyaṁ ca kṣatra-lakṣaṇam ||
deva-gurv-acyute bhaktis tri-varga-paripoṣaṇam |
āstikyam udyamo nityaṁ naipuṇyaṁ vaiśya-lakṣaṇam ||
śūdrasya san-natiḥ śaucaṁ sevā svāminy amāyayā |
amantra-yajño hy asteyaṁ satyaṁ go-vipra-rakṣaṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.21–24)

“Equanimity, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, contentment, forbearance, straightforwardness, knowledge, compassion, being of mind upon Acyuta [i.e., devotion to Śrī Viṣṇu], and truthfulness are characteristics of a brāhmaṇa. Valor, influence, resolve, might, charitablility, control of the mind, tolerance, brahmaṇyatā [i.e., being supportive of brāhmaṇas], clarity [alt., kindness], and truthfulness are the characteristics of a kṣatriya. Bhakti to the devas, the guru, and Acyuta [i.e., Viṣṇu], fostering the tri-varga [i.e., dharma, artha, and kāma], faith (āstikya) [in the śāstra], continuous endeavor, and expertise are the characteristics of a vaiśya. [Offering] Obeisances to the sat, cleanliness, service to one’s master without deceit, [performing] sacrifice (yajña) without [uttering] mantras, non-thievery, truthfulness, and protection of cows and brāhmaṇas are the [characteristics] of a śūdra.”

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yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam

yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam |
yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.35)

“If a characteristic which is said to be an indicator of a person’s varṇa should be observed even elsewhere [i.e., even in a person born in a different varṇa], one should designate him [i.e., the person in whom the characteristic was observed] specifically with that [i.e., with the varṇa of that characteristic which was observed].”

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nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśamena vā

nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśamena vā |
tuṣyeyaṁ sarva-bhūtātmā guru-śuśrūṣayā yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.34)

“I [Bhagavān], the Self of all beings, shall not be satisfied by sacrifice, higher birth [alt., procreation], austerity, or equilibrium as [I am] by service to the guru.”

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jayati jayati kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir yad-aṅghriṁ

jayati jayati kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir yad-aṅghriṁ
nikhila-nigama-tattvaṁ gūḍham ājñāya muktiḥ |
bhajati śaraṇa-kāmā vaiṣṇavais tyajyamānā
japa-yajana-tapasya-nyāsa-niṣṭhāṁ vihāya ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.8)

“Kṛṣṇa-prema-bhakti—
Whose foot
Mukti,
Being shunned by the Vaiṣṇavas
And [thus] desirous of shelter,
Worships
Having determined [it] to be the esoteric essence
Of all the Vedas
And utterly rejected perfection in japa, yajña, tapasya, and sannyāsa—
Triumphs!
Triumphs!”

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yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro

yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro
varṇāśramācāra-tapaḥ-śrutādiṣu |
avismṛtiḥ śrīdhara-pāda-padmayor
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇādarādibhiḥ ||
avismṛtiḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ
kṣiṇoty abhadrāṇi ca śaṁ tanoti |
sattvasya śuddhiṁ paramātma-bhaktiṁ
jñānaṁ ca vijñāna-virāga-yuktam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.12.54–55)

“Great endeavor in regard to the conduct of the varṇas and āśramas, austerity, learning, and so on is only for [worldly] wealth and fame. By hearing, honoring, and so forth narrations of [his] qualities, [however,] non-forgetfulness of Śrīdhara’s lotus feet comes about. Non-forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet dispels inauspiciousness and produces equanimity, purity of mind, bhakti to the Supreme Self, and knowledge accompanied by realization and non-attachment.”

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gṛhaṁ vanaṁ vopaviśet pravrajed vā dvijottamaḥ

gṛhaṁ vanaṁ vopaviśet pravrajed vā dvijottamaḥ |
āśramād āśramaṁ gacchen nānyathāmat-paraś caret ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.38)

“One [i.e., a brahmacārī who has graduated from guru-kula] should enter household life or the forest. Alternately, one who is foremost among the twice born should roam. One should go from āśrama to āśrama. One who is not devoted to me should not proceed otherwise.”

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tulā-puruṣa-dānādyair aśvamedhādibhir makhaiḥ

tulā-puruṣa-dānādyair aśvamedhādibhir makhaiḥ |
vārāṇasī-prayāgādi-tīrtha-snānādibhiḥ priye ||
gayā-śrāddhādibhiḥ pitryair veda-pāṭhādibhir japaiḥ |
tapobhir ugrair niyamair yamair bhūta-dayādibhiḥ ||
guru-śuśrūṣaṇaiḥ satyair dharmair varṇāśramānvitaiḥ |
jñāna-dhyānādibhiḥ samyak-caritair janma-koṭibhiḥ ||
na yānti tat paraṁ śreyo viṣṇuṁ sarveśvareśvaram |
sarva-bhāvair anāśritya purāṇaṁ puruṣottamam ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Nārada Pañcarātra: 4.2.17–20; cited in the Dig-darśinī-ṭikā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.118)

“[Mahādeva to Parvatī:] O dear one, by means of crores of births of righteous conduct—[the giving of] charities such as that equal to the person [i.e., the charity of giving away an amount of gold equal to the weight of one’s body], [conducting] sacrifices like the horse-sacrifice, bathing and so on at tīrthas like Vārāṇasī and Prayāga, [performances of] rites for the forefathers like [an offering of] last rights at Gayā, recitation and so forth of Vedas, japas [i.e., performing japa of various mantras], severe austerities, regulations, restrictions, [showing] compassion and the like towards other living beings, [performing] services to the guru, [observing] noble duties based on one’s varṇa and āśrama, [acquiring] knowledge, [performing] meditation, and so on—one does not attain the supreme weal, Viṣṇu, the Īśvara of all īśvaras, without taking shelter in [him] the primeval Supreme Person with all of one’s manners of being [i.e., with the totality of one’s self].”

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ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ |
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.13)

“Therefore, O best of the twice-born, the highest accomplishment of dharma aptly performed by human beings in accord with the divisions of the varṇas and āśramas is the satisfaction of Hari.”

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