Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.42
Society Needs Trained, Respectable Guides
“Gentlemen, every night I worship the goddess Bhavānī. Since the paraphernalia for the worship is present here, now all you respectable brāhmaṇas and members of the higher castes can understand my position.”
What the purport teaches
- The purport describes four social divisions: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Below these were the pañcamas, or members of the fifth group.
- Brāhmaṇas especially were known as saj-jana, respectable gentlemen who guided society. People approached them to settle village disputes.
- The purport stresses that a cultured, peaceful society requires these social divisions and people trained as brāhmaṇas.
Try this today
Write down one quality you would seek in someone helping to settle a dispute.
Ask yourself
Why does a community need trustworthy people who can guide others and settle disputes?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.