FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.19

अस्मिन्नेव वर्षे पुरुषैर्लब्धजन्मभि: शुक्ललोहितकृष्णवर्णेन स्वारब्धेन कर्मणा दिव्यमानुषनारकगतयो बह्व्य: आत्मन आनुपूर्व्येण सर्वा ह्येव सर्वेषां विधीयन्ते यथावर्णविधानमपवर्गश्चापि भवति ॥ १९ ॥
asminn eva varṣe puruṣair labdha-janmabhiḥ śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena svārabdhena karmaṇā divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-gatayo bahvya ātmana ānupūrvyeṇa sarvā hy eva sarveṣāṁ vidhīyante yathā-varṇa-vidhānam apavargaś cāpi bhavati.
[asminn eva varshe purushair labdha-janmabhih shukla-lohita-krishna-varnena svaarabdhena karmanaa divya-maanusha-naaraka-gatayo bahvya aatmana aanupoorvyena sarvaa hy eva sarveshaam vidheeyante yathaa-varna-vidhaanam apavargash chaapi bhavati.]
Word-for-word
asmin eva varṣe — in this tract of land (Bhārata-varṣa) puruṣaiḥ — by the people labdha-janmabhiḥ — who have taken birth śukla — of the mode of goodness lohita — of the mode of passion kṛṣṇa — of the mode of ignorance varṇena — according to the division sva — by himself ārabdhena — begun karmaṇā — by activities divya — divine mānuṣa — human nāraka — hellish gatayaḥ — goals bahvyaḥ — many ātmanaḥ — of his own ānupūrvyeṇa — according to acts performed previously sarvāḥ — all hi — certainly eva — indeed sarveṣām — of all of them vidhīyante — are allotted yathā-varṇa-vidhānam — in terms of different castes apavargaḥ — the path of liberation ca — and api — also bhavati — is possible.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
asminn eva varṣe puruṣair labdha-janmabhiḥ śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena svārabdhena karmaṇā divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-gatayo bahvya ātmana ānupūrvyeṇa sarvā hy eva sarveṣāṁ vidhīyante yathā-varṇa-vidhānam apavargaś cāpi bhavati.
asmin eva varṣe
in this tract of land (Bhārata-varṣa)
puruṣaiḥ
by the people
labdha-janmabhiḥ
who have taken birth
śukla
of the mode of goodness
lohita
of the mode of passion
kṛṣṇa
of the mode of ignorance
varṇena
according to the division
sva
by himself
ārabdhena
begun
karmaṇā
by activities
divya
divine
mānuṣa
human
nāraka
hellish
gatayaḥ
goals
bahvyaḥ
many
ātmanaḥ
of his own
ānupūrvyeṇa
according to acts performed previously
sarvāḥ
all
hi
certainly
eva
indeed
sarveṣām
of all of them
vidhīyante
are allotted
yathā-varṇa-vidhānam
in terms of different castes
apavargaḥ
the path of liberation
ca
and
api
also
bhavati
is possible.
The people who take birth in this tract of land are divided according to the qualities of material nature — the modes of goodness [sattva-guṇa], passion [rajo-guṇa], and ignorance [tamo-guṇa]. Some of them are born as exalted personalities, some are ordinary human beings, and some are extremely abominable, for in Bhārata-varṣa one takes birth exactly according to one’s past karma. If one’s position is ascertained by a bona fide spiritual master and one is properly trained to engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu according to the four social divisions [brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra] and the four spiritual divisions [brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa], one’s life becomes perfect.
Purport

For further information, one should refer to Bhagavad-gītā (14.18 and 18.42-45). Śrīla Rāmānujācārya writes in his book Vedārtha-saṅgraha:

evaṁ-vidha-parābhakti-svarūpa-jñāna-viśeṣasyotpādakaḥ pūrvoktāharahar upacīyamāna-jñāna-pūrvaka-karmānugṛhīta-bhakti-yoga eva; yathoktaṁ bhagavatā parāśareṇa — varṇāśrameti. nikhila-jagad-uddhāraṇāyāvanitale ’vatīrṇaṁ para-brahma-bhūtaḥ puruṣottamaḥ svayam etad uktavān — “svakarma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu” “yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam/ svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ.”

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9), the great sage Parāśara Muni has recommended:

varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Lord.” In the land of Bhārata-varṣa, the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma may be easily adopted. At the present moment, certain demoniac sections of the population of Bhārata-varṣa are disregarding the system of varṇāśrama-dharma. Because there is no institution to teach people how to become brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras or brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs, these demons want a classless society. This is resulting in chaotic conditions. In the name of secular government, unqualified people are taking the supreme governmental posts. No one is being trained to act according to the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, and thus people are becoming increasingly degraded and are heading in the direction of animal life. The real aim of life is liberation, but unfortunately the opportunity for liberation is being denied to people in general, and therefore their human lives are being spoiled. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is being propagated all over the world to reestablish the varṇāśrama-dharma system and thus save human society from gliding down to hellish life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In Bhārata-varṣa, many destinations—heavenly, human and hellish—are prescribed for all people, because people take birth according to actions in sattva, rajas and tamas. All these destinations are prescribed for the self according to the quality of their actions, as indicated in the Vedas. Liberation is then achieved. This takes place only in Bhārata-varṣa, and only in an area whose dimension is a thousand yojanas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: bhāratasyāsya varṣasya nava-bhedān niśāmaya indra-dvīpaḥ kaśeruś ca tāmra-varṇo gabhastimān nāga-dvīpas tathā saumyo gāndharvas tv atha vāruṇaḥ ayaṁ tu navamas teṣāṁ dvīpaḥ sāgara-saṁbhṛtaḥ yojanānāṁ sahasrantu dvīpo ’yaṁ dakṣiṇottarāt Hear about the nine division of Bhārata: Indradvpia, Kaśeru, Tāmravarṇa, Babhasimān, Nagadvpiā, Saumya Gandarva, Vāruṇa, and the ninth, bordering the ocean, which is a thousand yojanas from north to south. [Note: The total width of Bhārata is 9000 yojanas. Each division would be 1000 yojanas wide. A person would be limited to only one of these divisions for his life. ] Sāgara-saṁbhṛtaḥ means situated at the edge of the ocean, according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. Though the ninth division is not mentioned by name it is understood to be called Navadvīpa. This place is further described in the same work: pūrve kirātā yasyānte paścime yavanāḥ smṛtāḥ pūrva-deśādikāś caiva kāma-rūpa nivāsinaḥ oṭrāḥ kaliṅgā magadhā dākṣiṇātyāśca kṛtsnaśaḥ mārukā mālavāśca In the east are the Kirātas, in the west are the Yavanas. The inhabitants in the east are the residents of Kāmarūpa, Orissa, Kaliṅga, Magadha. The inhabitants in the south are Marukas and Mālavas. catvāri bhārate varṣe yugānyatra mahāmune kṛtaṁ tretādvāparañca kaliścānyatra na kvacit O great sage! In Bhārata-varṣa there are Satya, Treta, Dvāpara and Kali yugas, which do not exist elsewhere. Vāyu Purāṇa says: bhāratasyāsya varṣasya nava bhedān nibodhata sāgarāntaritā jñeyās te tv agamyāḥ parasparam Hear about the nine divisions of Bhārata. They border the ocean and one cannot go from one to the other. Many goals are undertaken by the individual according to prescribed actions in sattva, rajas and tamas (śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena), because (hi) all these goals will manifest for all people according to the qualities of action (yathā varṇa-vidhānam) -- caused by dharma and adharma. This takes place unavoidably, as prescribed in the Vedas (ānupūrveyṇa). And if one cannot accomplish liberation, liberation (bhakti) appears on its own. The word ca indicates that merging in Brahman is also achieved.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
We are born in this land according to the modes of our past karma — some elevated, some ordinary, some abominable. But under a bona fide spiritual master, anyone can transcend the modes through devotional service. Birth is not destiny if guidance is present.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I been blaming my background for what is actually unwillingness to be guided?
  • What would change if I accepted that no birth is too low for the spiritual master's process to work?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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