CC Madhya 22.26
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 26
- cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nāhi bhaje
- svakarma karite se raurave paḍi’ maje
SYNONYMS
cāri varṇa-āśramī — followers of the four social and spiritual orders of life; yadi — if; kṛṣṇa — Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāhi — not; bhaje — serve; sva-karma karite — performing his duty in life; se — that person; raurave — in a hellish condition; paḍi’ — falling down; maje — becomes immersed.
TRANSLATION
"The followers of the varṇāśrama institution accept the regulative principles of the four social orders [brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra] and four spiritual orders [brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa]. However, if one carries out the regulative principles of these orders but does not render transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa, he falls into a hellish condition of material life.
PURPORT
One may be a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, or one may perfectly follow the spiritual principles of brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa, but ultimately one falls down into a hellish condition unless one becomes a devotee. Without developing one’s dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot be factually elevated. The regulative principles of varṇāśrama-dharma in themselves are insufficient for attainment of the highest perfection. That is confirmed in the following two quotations from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.2-3).