Sree Sree Guru Gaurangau Jayatah!

In India, you will find that all human beings are not of the same status. There are differences. In one person, you will find sattva-guna predominating, in another rajo-guna predominating and in another, tamo-guna. So, they are advised to practice varnasrama-dharma, whereby they are encouraged to act according to their own ability and level of competence within the four varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra) and four asramas (brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasi). If they relinquish this practice, they will be committing a sin. They will be violating the Vedic order. But, if they relinquish this for the service of Sri Krishna, it will be correct.



You will find, in the Gita, Krishna first told Arjuna, "Perform your work according to your own competency. Do not attempt to do the work of others who are of a different nature." But ultimately, He says, "Sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja" (18.66). "Give up all the relative duties I have spoken about earlier and take absolute shelter of Me. You are my own person. You are related to Me. You are part of My own potency. I have hitherto advised you to act according to your own capacity, but you will obtain your actual, eternal welfare when you take absolute shelter of Me." When we take absolute shelter of the Supreme Lord, we will not be committing sin by giving up those relative duties. But, take careful note of the words, "mat-krte": for Me. "Performing household duties or brahmacari duties has become too difficult, so I have given them up." Thinking like this, you are committing sin. You are violating the Vedic injunctions. But if you take shelter of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, then automatically you are performing service for all.



Generally, we refer to those who have given up their household life as sadhus. "I am married. I have a wife and children. I have no funds to maintain them. So, I have given up household life. I am moving along the road, begging. I have become a sadhu." He is not a sadhu. He is committing a sin. But if a person lives within household life, serving Krishna, then all the family members are benefited. "Mat-krte tyakta-karmanas tyakta-svajana-bandhavah": "for Me."


--- His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirth Goswami Maharaj



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