Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 31: Nārada Instructs the Pracetās |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.31.10
kim janmabhis tribhir veha
pumso 'pi vibudhāyushā
SYNONYMS
kim — what is the use; janmabhih — of births; tribhih — three; vā — or; iha — in this world; śaukra — by semen; sāvitra — by initiation; yājñikaih — by becoming a perfect brāhmana; karmabhih — by activities; vā — or; trayī — in the Vedas; proktaih — instructed; pumsah — of a human being; api — even; vibudha — of the demigods; āyushā — with a duration of life.
TRANSLATION
A civilized human being has three kinds of births. The first birth is by a pure father and mother, and this birth is called birth by semen. The next birth takes place when one is initiated by the spiritual master, and this birth is called sāvitra. The third birth, called yājñika, takes place when one is given the opportunity to worship Lord Vishnu. Despite the opportunities for attaining such births, even if one gets the life-span of a demigod, if one does not actually engage in the service of the Lord, everything is useless. Similarly, one's activities may be mundane or spiritual, but they are useless if they are not meant for satisfying the Lord.
PURPORT
The word śaukra janma means "taking birth by seminal discharge." Animals can take their birth in this way too. However, a human being can be reformed from the śaukra janma, as recommended in the Vedic civilization. Before the birth takes place, or before father and mother unite, there is a ceremony called garbhādhāna-samskāra, which must be adopted. This garbhādhāna-samskāra is especially recommended for higher castes, especially the brāhmana caste. It is said in the śāstras that if the garbhādhāna-samskāra is not practiced among the higher castes, the entire family becomes śūdra. It is also stated that in this age of Kali, everyone is śūdra due to the absence of the garbhādhāna-samskāra. This is the Vedic system. According to the pāñcarātrika system, however, even though everyone is a śūdra due to the absence of the garbhādhāna-samskāra, if a person has but a little tendency to become Krishna conscious, he should be given the chance to elevate himself to the transcendental platform of devotional service. Our Krishna consciousness movement adopts this pāñcarātrika-vidhi, as advised by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, who says:
kāmsyam rasa-vidhānatah
"As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person, even though not golden pure, can be transformed into a brāhmana, or dvija, simply by the initiation process." (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.12) Thus if one is initiated by a proper person, he can be accepted as twice-born immediately. In our Krishna consciousness movement, we therefore offer the student his first initiation and allow him to chant the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra. By chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra regularly and following the regulative principles, one becomes qualified to be initiated as a brāhmana, because unless one is a qualified brāhmana he cannot be allowed to worship Lord Vishnu. This is called yājñika janma. In our Krishna consciousness society, unless one is twice initiated — first by chanting Hare Krishna and second by the Gāyatrī mantra — he is not allowed to enter the kitchen or Deity room to execute duties. However, when one is elevated to the platform on which he can worship the Deity, his previous birth does not matter.
candālo 'pi dvija-śreshtho
dvijo 'pi śvapacādhamah
"Even if one is born in the family of a candāla, if one engages in the devotional service of the Lord, he becomes the best of brāhmanas. But even a brāhmana who is devoid of devotional service is on the level of the lowest dog-eater." If a person is advanced in devotional service, it does not matter whether he was born in a candāla family. He becomes purified. As Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja said:
viprād dvishad-guna-yutād aravinda-nābha-
pādāravinda-vimukhāc chvapacam varishtham
(Bhāg. 7.9.10)
Even if one is a brāhmana and is qualified with all the brahminical qualifications, he is considered degraded if he is averse to worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if a person is attached to the service of the Lord, he becomes glorified even if he is born in a candāla family. Indeed, such a candāla can deliver not only himself but all his family predecessors. Without devotional service, even a proud brāhmana cannot deliver himself, and what to speak of his family. In many instances in the śāstras it is seen that even a brāhmana has become a kshatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, mleccha or non-brāhmana. And there are many instances of one's being born a kshatriya or vaiśya or even lower and, in the eighteenth year, attaining elevation to the brahminical platform by the process of initiation. Therefore Nārada Muni says:
pumso varnābhivyañjakam
tat tenaiva vinirdiśet
(Bhāg. 7.11.35)
It is not a fact that because one is born in a brāhmana family he is automatically a brāhmana. He has a better chance to become a brāhmana, but unless he meets all the brahminical qualifications, he cannot be accepted as such. On the other hand, if the brahminical qualifications are found in the person of a śūdra, he should immediately be accepted as a brāhmana. To substantiate this there are many quotations from Bhāgavatam, Mahābhārata, Bharadvāja-samhitā and the pañcarātra, as well as many other scriptures.
As far as the duration of life of the demigods, concerning Lord Brahmā it is said:
(Bg. 8.17)
The duration of one day of Brahmā is one thousand times greater than the four yugas, aggregating 4,320,000 years. Similarly, Brahmā's one night. Brahmā lives for one hundred years of such days and nights. The word vibudhāyushā indicates that even if one gets a long life-span, his life-span is useless if he is not a devotee. A living entity is the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, and unless he comes to the platform of devotional service, his life-span, good birth, glorious activities and everything else are null and void.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness