What is your Varna by nature & profession? Tips to determine!
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhu. In Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishna said that he divided people on the basis of their merits and qualification to carry out their respective dharma and karma like brahmin, kshtriya vhaisya and sudhra.
Now we know that in earlier days people could change thier varna through thier karma like a kshtriya to a brahmin , and brahmin to kshtriya etc. In my horoscope I have my vrna as vipra (brahmin) but by birth I am not Brahmin. But in my early days I showed a great interest in studies and was greatly averse to meat eating, but due to parental force I had to eat but very minimal but now It had been 1 year I completely left meat eating.
Now my natural qualities is like a brahmin like intellectual personality and deep knowledge seeker in both spiritual science and other material sciences.
But I am literally confused that if I was in satya , treta or drwapar yug I had been a brahmin and would carry out my brahmin dharma , but in such modern society people born by birth as a brahmin is following their brahmin dharma not by quality, I had been through srila Prabhupada lectures and had said that vrna being decided by karma. But should I follow my brahmin karma? though I am not brahmin by birth since in garud purana I have heard of some punishment of now following one’s prescribed karma , but literally confused that it is only applicable in brahmin by birth or brahmin by karma and guna? I would be grateful if you kindly seek into this matter. Hare Krishna”
REPLY:
This need not be confused.
If you take birth in a Brahmin family (by birth), you are fortunate by birth necause in your previous birth, you followed brahminical qualities.
Or, you were a good devotee/ Vaishnava in your previous birth.
(The duties as a husband, son, daughter, father for the devotees! READ HERE!)
As said by Krishna Himself in Bhagavad Gita (6-41), one who stopped or fell from devotion in the middle will take birth either in a rich family or righteous (brahmana/ Vaishnava) family.
So, taking birth in a brahmana family or Vaishnava family is a fortune as a result of our following of devotion even in the previous birth.
Ok, but, just because you take birth in a brahmana family, there is no guarantee that you will die as a brahmana.
You may fall down in the middle and follow the qualities and profession of other varnas.
So, though one takes birth in a brahmana family, he will be considered a brahmana only if he follows brahminical qualities throughout his lifetime.
If he goes to a material job and get salary, he loses his brahminical status. If he realizes and starts vedic life again, he gets back his brahmana status.
I am also an example. I took birth in a vedic brahmana family who also lived as a brahmana by doing vedic rituals.
But, after studies, I went to jobs in a company and got salary. So, I became a Sudra, ie, working class though I took birth in a Brahmin family.
Then I started a business and ran it for two decades. Then, I became a Vaisya, ie, business class.
(Why Brahmanas are given more importance than other varnas? READ HERE!)
Then, I took a clear decision of following preaching and astro services, that are the recommended assigned duty of a Brahmana.
Thus, I have become a brahmana again. I regained my brahmana status acquired by birth.
Until I am following this devotional and vedic lifestyle, I can retain my brahmana status.
Therefore, be clear of the following points:
(1) If one takes birth in a brahmana family, it is not the final status as a brahmana. His birth in a brahmana family should be supported by his activities and qualities as a brahmana. If not, he will lose his brahmana status though he was a brahmana by birth.
(2) If one takes birth in a Kshatriya family or Vaisya family or Sudra family, he need not remain a Kshatriya or Vaisya or Sudra. If he develops the brahmana qualities and performs the career as devotion or vedic performance or preaching, he will gain the brahmana status.
(Is abolishing the Varnashrama system possible as said by atheists? READ HERE!)
(3) Brahmana qualities means, acting in satva guna, following food and sense control and making his living with devotional or vedic way of life. A brahmana forgives even the serious sinners and he will never follow the acts of retaliation. A brahmana always follows non violence.
(4) You may know that a Kshatriya will have more rajo guna because he is protecting the country as ruler, military soldier or officer or police, Gurka, etc.
(5) A Vaisya will have more thamo guna because he has to follow profit making activities by exaggerating the quality of his products and he has to sell his products to others.
(6) A Sudra needs both Rajo and thamo gunas because he has to work for other individuals or firms and hence he has to work hard.
Let us now come to your case.
You are frequently changing your Varna by identifying yourself in different qualities.
Avoiding meat alone is not a quality of a brahmana. It is his regulative principle.
A brahmana should have above mentioned qualities and acts.
One should be stable in one Varna if he has already come to the Varna of a brahmana by developing brahminical qualities and profession.
(VARNASHRAMA DHARMA – CAN ONE FOLLOW IT IN THE PRESENT SOCIETY? READ HERE!)
Achieving the brahmana status itself is a great achievement. Falling again to the other varnas is not recommended unless it happens under unavoidable pressing situations.
You have said that you feel to be following brahmana qualities and profession.
Don’t confuse with such material status as brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra.
Simply follow four regulative principles – No meat eating, No gambling, No intoxication and No illicit relations and chant Hare Krishna as much as possible.
Develop satvik qualities and forgiving – non aggressive nature in all situations.
If you follow the above two, you will be identified as a Vaishnava Brahmana.
Protect this status till you leave this planet. Never fall back to the other status.
If you follow the above guidance, Krishna will consider taking you back to Him.
Best wishes!
(Rules & Regulations for Four Varnas & Ashramas! READ HERE!)