SB 3.21.55
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 55
- adharmaś ca samedheta
- lolupair vyaṅkuśair nṛbhiḥ
- śayāne tvayi loko 'yaṁ
- dasyu-grasto vinaṅkṣyati
SYNONYMS
adharmaḥ — unrighteousness; ca — and; samedheta — would flourish; lolupaiḥ — simply hankering after money; vyaṅkuśaiḥ — uncontrolled; nṛbhiḥ — by men; śayāne tvayi — when you lie down for rest; lokaḥ — world; ayam — this; dasyu — by the miscreants; grastaḥ — attacked; vinaṅkṣyati — it will perish.
TRANSLATION
If you gave up all thought of the world's situation, unrighteousness would flourish, for men who hanker only after money would be unopposed. Such miscreants would attack, and the world would perish.
PURPORT
Because the scientific division of four varṇas and four āśramas is now being extinguished, the entire world is being governed by unwanted men who have no training in religion, politics or social order, and it is in a very deplorable condition. In the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas there are regular training principles for the different classes of men. Just as, in the modern age, there is a necessity for engineers, medical practitioners and electricians, and they are properly trained in different scientific institutions, similarly, in former times, the higher social orders, namely the intelligent class (the brāhmaṇas), the ruling class (the kṣatriyas) and the mercantile class (the vaiśyas), were properly trained. Bhagavad-gītā describes the duties of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. When there is no such training, one simply claims that because he is born in a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya family, he is therefore a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya, even though he performs the duties of a śūdra. Such undue claims to being a higher-caste man make the system of scientific social orders into a caste system, completely degrading the original system. Thus society is now in chaos, and there is neither peace nor prosperity. It is clearly stated herein that unless there is the vigilance of a strong king, impious, unqualified men will claim a certain status in society, and that will make the social order perish.