Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.26

cari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje

svakarma karite se raurave padi' maje

SYNONYMS

cari varna-asrami -- followers of the four social and spiritual orders of life; yadi -- if; krsna -- Lord Krsna; nahi -- not; bhaje -- serve; sva-karma karite -- performing his duty in life; se -- that person; raurave -- in a hellish condition; padi' -- falling down; maje -- becomes immersed.

TRANSLATION

"The followers of the varnasrama institution accept the regulative principles of the four social orders [brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra] and four spiritual orders [brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa]. However, if one carries out the regulative principles of these orders but does not render transcendental service to Krsna, he falls into a hellish condition of material life.

PURPORT

One may be a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, or one may perfectly follow the spiritual principles of brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa, but ultimately one falls down into a hellish condition unless one becomes a devotee. Without developing one's dormant Krsna consciousness, one cannot be factually elevated. The regulative principles of varnasrama-dharma in themselves are insufficient for attainment of the highest perfection. That is confirmed in the following two quotations from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.2-3).

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness