Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now after discussing about all these Varan let us discuss how it can be spiritualized.

Bg 18.45

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ
yathā vindati tac chṛṇu

Synonyms: 

sve sve — each his own; karmaṇi — work; abhirataḥ — following; saṁsiddhim — perfection; labhate — achieves; naraḥ — a man; sva–karma — in his own duty; nirataḥ — engaged; siddhim — perfection; yathā — as; vindati — attains; tat — that; śṛṇu — listen.

Translation: 

By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ, by doing one’s own Karma, abhirataḥ, means to be engaged, following, ratah means to be absorbed, sve sve means one’s own karma, so this is talked in continuation with the previous three verses, Brhamana, Vasys, KShteriya and Sudra, so whatever one’s karma one will act according to that.

saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ, a human being can attain perfection 

sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ, while being engaged in one’s karma, siddhiṁ

yathā vindati tac chṛṇu, how one can attain this O Arjuna hear this, 

The implication of this verse is very significant, Varanaahram can be of different types, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur has explained this, 

there is Vedic Varanshram, – By Nature

there is Asuri Varnashram, – By Body or Birth

and there is Devi Varanshram – Serve Krishna as per your varna and get liberated from that varna itself, elevation of varna to Brahmana is not required. 

So Vedic Varanshram was based on birth but in general in the past the birth would be more and less compatible with the nature with the Svabhava, because a Brahmana and Brahmani parent will attract a Brahmana inclined soul only as their child but in past there are various references that even from a parent of one varan the child born is of different varana or nature so he will do different work, e.g. there is a story of Satyakama Jabali whose son has gone to take lesson from Gautham Risi when the Risi asked him about his father he has in turn asked his mother and mother said I was a maid servant and I don’t know the child went and told same thing to Gautham risi and he said you are a Brahmana because you have truthfulness as a quality in you. So quality is prevalent in determining the varan of a child. 

What is prevailing in India for a good number of years is Asuri Varanshram, the characteristics of Ashura is they delight at bodily level, all their pleasures are at bodily level, so the spiritual institution of Varnashram they reduced at bodily level, and said one’s body will determine one’s varna, and the higher cast take power and privilege and instead of cooperating for the social body exploit the lower cast for their own selfish purposes, and this is taken of in very ugly shape, one of the major reason of spreading Jainism and Buddhism is they offered an escape way for the lower cast from the clutches of higher cast. And of course current political situation in India based on cast and quota allocations. So this history of exploitation is not because what is meant in vedic culture but because of degradation of vedic culture. 

Davi Varanashram is on the idea that everybody is meant to serve Krishna but accordingly to one’s nature one can serve Krishna so normally in Vedic Varanshram the progress is linear, that a sudra after progressing will become Vasya, then Kshetriya then Brahaman and then become liberated. But in Devi Varnashrama the progression in not linear but it is vertical i.e. whatever the varan a person is in if that person devotes oneself to Krishna he can attain liberation directly from that verna. So Krishna is talking here about Devi Varashram. sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ, by doing one’s activity one can become liberated.

End of transcription.