Now the government men, they are elected by votes. People do not consider whether he's a brahmana or kshatriya or vaishya or shudra. As he likes... People are shudras. Kalau shudra-sambhavah. In the Kali-yuga [present age] everyone is a shudra. Therefore naturally he will elect one shudra.

A Headless Society

Human society dysfunctional without class divisions

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that chatur-varnyam maya srishtam guna-karma-vibhagashah: [Bg. 4.13] "In the human society I have divided four classes of men." Krishna says, "I have done it."

So by nature, there are four classes of men. Anywhere you go you'll find four classes of men. In whichever you take, you'll find not all of them of the same category. First class, second class, third class and fourth class. First class means the most intelligent class—scientists, philosophers, like that; mathematicians, great religionists. They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands were cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his hands. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators. And the third class are to produce money—businessmen, mercantile. Money is also required. Without money nothing can be done, so that is the occupation of the third class. And the fourth class, shudra [laborers, workers]. They cannot take any post as intelligent class or administrator class or money-producing class. They are simply servant, help others, shudra. The shudra was not meant for taking the political part.

Now the government men, they are elected by votes. People do not consider whether he's a brahmana or kshatriya or vaishya or shudra. As he likes... People are shudras. Kalau shudra-sambhavah. In the Kali-yuga [present age] everyone is a shudra. Therefore naturally he will elect one shudra. The shudra is not fit for government management. As such we find so many difficulties in the government because the head or the head man, they are all shudras. They have dressed like administrator, but they are shudras. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There is no brahmana, there is no kshatriya, there is no vaishyas. Maybe a few vaishyas, and all shudras. A brahmana means the good quality, first-class quality. That is very, very rare to be found.

So it was the business of the king to see that things are going on. First of all, there is classification: intelligent class or brahmana; and the administrator class or kshatriya; and the mercantile class, money-producing class. So everyone is engaged, and he's doing his own business. But this division must be there. Without division the society will be in chaos. The example is given... I have several times mentioned that, that just like in this body, there is division: the head division, the arms division, the belly division, and the leg division. They are all required. You cannot say that simply legs will do. What about the head and arms? "I don't require." That is not... That is dead body. That is dead body. Any part of the body, you cannot miss. They must be all in order; then your body is fit. Similarly, in the human society, the social body, there must be these classes: the head class, the arm class, the belly class and the leg class. Very scientific. If you have got intelligent class of men, but nobody is helping him, then what, what will be the use of intelligence? The intelligent class must be there, but to help him the less intelligent class men also required. Just like if there are only intelligent class, that will be chaos. Nobody will care for anyone. Sometimes we'll find in our Society, all intelligent class, and they fight each other. That's all. Everyone is thinking, "I am intelligent. I am boss. I must order you." And the other is thinking, "Why you shall be boss? I am also boss." So [laughs] fighting will go on. So this is going on. At the present moment there is no intelligent class of men. But kalau shudra-sambhavah. Therefore things are all in chaos. Everywhere you go, any part of the world, nobody is happy, either in family or community and society, nationwide, you take. Everywhere is distrust, unhappiness, godlessness. Because the intelligent class of men is finished.

So the king, his duty was that if you are professing yourself as a brahmana, then it is the king's duty to see that you are acting as a brahmana. Brahmana is not by birth but guna-karma-vibhagashah [Bg. 4.13]. Guna means quality. And karma by work also. Simply "I have got now sacred thread, I have become brahmana, doubly initiated; now my business is finished. I can work, I can do whatever we like, like less than shudra, chandala." No, sir. If you are initiated as a brahmana, you must act as a brahmana. Truthfulness—satyam shamo damas titiksha arjavam jñanam vijñanam astikyam brahma-karma [Bg. 18.42]—everything is there. A brahmana must be truthful. That is the first business of a brahmana—truthful. He'll speak truth even before an enemy. Nobody speaks truth before an enemy because he wants to hide something. But brahmana's business is to become truthful even before an enemy. That is stated. There are many instances. Just like Satyakama-jabala, a boy, went to Gautama Muni: "Sir, I want to become your disciple." "Oh, very good. Are you brahmana or brahmana's son?" Formerly, in Vedic ways, nobody could be accepted as a disciple unless he's born in high-class family, brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya—especially brahmana. So this question was asked, "Which family you belong to?" So he said, "I do not know what is my classification." "Now, who is your father?" "That I do not know." "Ask your mother." Then he went to his mother, "Who is my father?" "My dear boy, I do not know." Actually his mother was maidservant. So maidservants have so many men, and by whom she was pregnant she cannot remember. She also told the truth. And this Satyakama, he also came to Gautama Muni, he said, "Sir, my mother also does not know who is my father." "Oh, that's all right. You are a brahmana, because you are truthful. You do not hide yourself, that 'I am a prostitute's son.' You say this is the position. 'I am plainly speaking that my mother does not know who is my father. I do not know!' " So because he was truthful—that is the symptom of brahmana—Gautama accepted, "Yes, I'll accept you as my disciple."

So this is the process, that the four castes—brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya were going on according to work. Just like a carpenter. His son naturally becomes a carpenter by seeing the father's work. So he can be very easily classified as a carpenter. Similarly, formerly, the brahmana family, kshatriya family, vaishya family, they were following the rules and regulations in such a way that naturally a brahmana's son became a brahmana. Because he has learned already the brahmana principle from the parent. So naturally little touch will make him... That is initiation. Even though one is born in a brahmana family, why does he required initiation and sacred thread ceremony? Because simply by taking birth in a brahmana family one does not become a brahmana. He has to be raised to the brahmana standard. Otherwise, there was no initiation, there was no necessity of initiation or offering the sacred thread. That is called samskara. Otherwise, by birth everyone is shudra. Janmana jayate shudrah samskarad bhaved dvijah. So it is very good that one has taken his birth in a brahmana family, but provided he has learned the brahmana's activities nicely from the parent, he is brahmana.

But if he deviates from the family principle... Just like in the shastra [Vedic literature] it is said that in a higher class family, brahmana, kshatriya, especially brahmana, if the garbhadhana-samskara is not accepted, the whole family becomes shudra. That means begetting the child, there is a ceremony which is called garbhadhana-samskara. So in the Kali-yuga practically no samskara is performed. Therefore in the shastra it is said kalau shudra-sambhavah [everyone is shudra]. So Vedic process, Vedic principles of accepting [a brahmana's son as brahmana] is not possible in this Kali-yuga. Because the garbhadhana-samskara is not there. In nobody's family the garbhadhana-samskara is taken.

So it was the duty of the king to see that if a man is professing himself as a brahmana, he must act as a brahmana. That was the duty. Otherwise, he should be punished. Just like here [story given in the text, SB 1.16.4]. This shudra, he was presenting himself as a kshatriya. Therefore he was punished. Not that the king is callous: "Let him do whatever he likes." Just like now our, everywhere, the government, it doesn't care whether you are acting as a brahmana, shudra, or whatever nonsense you are doing. Doesn't care. "You pay me tax, that's all." Bring your tax, income tax, and everything, then you are free, whatever you are doing. That was not the duty of the king. The king's duty is to see that actually one who is presenting himself as brahmana, he's acting as a brahmana, he has acquired the qualities of a brahmana. Guna-karma-vibhagashah [Bg. 4.13]: he has got the quality and acting. Similarly, a kshatriya also, he must act as a kshatriya. Similarly, vaishyas. These statements are there in the Bhagavad-gita, you know. Everything is given there. So it is the duty of the government, that this man is professing as a brahmana, as a kshatriya or a vaishya, whether he is acting, or whether he's cheating others. No cheating will be allowed. That is government's duty.