Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.13
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutySocial Orders Arise from the Lord
“In Tretā-yuga the four social orders were manifested from the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas appeared from the Lord’s face, the kṣatriyas from the Lord’s arms, the vaiśyas from the Lord’s thighs and the śūdras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social division was recognized by its particular duties and behavior.”
What the purport teaches
- In Tretā-yuga, the four social orders manifest from the universal form of the Personality of Godhead.
- The brāhmaṇas appear from His face and the kṣatriyas from His arms. The vaiśyas appear from His thighs and the śūdras from His legs.
- Each social division is recognized by its particular duties and behavior. The verse connects social identity with what people do and how they conduct themselves.
Try this today
Choose one responsibility today and give careful attention to both completing it and behaving well while doing it.
Ask yourself
What do your daily duties and behavior reveal about how you fulfill your responsibilities?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.