Principles Governing the Acceptance of a Brāhmaṇa
The position of a brāhmaṇa in Vedic society is not merely a status of birth but, as Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes, a station of immense responsibility characterized by strict adherence to religious principles. Central to this role is the concept of acceptance—specifically, what a brāhmaṇa may accept in terms of charity, profession, and sustenance, and what he must strictly reject. While the brāhmaṇas are divinely authorized to accept charity to facilitate the worship of Lord Viṣṇu, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that they are simultaneously forbidden from accepting servile employment, which is deemed the engagement of dogs. This article explores the nuanced principles governing these standards, illustrating how a brāhmaṇa's purity is maintained through independence and voluntary austerity.
Divine Right to Accept Charity
According to Vedic sociology, the brāhmaṇas are conceptually born from the mouth of the Universal Form of the Lord. Their primary function is to articulate Vedic knowledge and engage in the worship of the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while they are authorized to accept charity, this acceptance is bound by the specific purpose of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The brahmanas are born from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to accept charity for worship of Visnu and to spread Vedic knowledge.
- In the formation of a body, the head is the principal factor. The brahmanas are born from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to accept charity for worship of Visnu and to spread Vedic knowledge.
- The intelligent class of men are called brahmanas, and those who have realized the Absolute Truth in His supreme personal feature are called Vaisnavas. But both of them accept foodstuffs which are the remnants of sacrifice.
- Everything in the world belongs to the brahmanas, and out of their humility the brahmanas accept charity from the ksatriyas, or kings, and the vaisyas, or merchants.
Six Occupational Duties
A brāhmaṇa is defined by six specific activities: studying, teaching, worshiping, performing worship for others, giving charity, and accepting charity. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that even in the execution of these duties, a brāhmaṇa must remain detached, often performing his teaching duties without remuneration while accepting charity only to maintain his body and soul together.
- Brahmanas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory - namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity. By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity and by accepting gifts, they receive the necessities of life.
- A brahmana should do this (adhyayana, adhyāpana, yajana and yājana) without remuneration, but he is allowed to accept charity from a person whom he teaches how to be a human being.
- Only the brahmanas and sannyasis are authorized to accept charity from the householders. In all the different occasions of saṁskāras, especially during the time of birth, marriage and death, wealth is distributed to the brāhmaṇas because the brāhmaṇas give the highest quality of service in regard to the prime necessity of humankind.
- The brahmana accepts all kinds of contributions (pratigraha) from his followers - namely, the ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. But he does not keep all the money. He keeps only as much as required and gives the balance to others in charity - dana.
Prohibition of Service and Employment
Perhaps the most stringent rule for a brāhmaṇa is the refusal to accept employment or servitude. While śūdras require a master, Śrīla Prabhupāda insists that a brāhmaṇa must remain independent. He frequently cites the history of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, noting that despite their high birth, they were ostracized from brāhmaṇa society solely because they accepted ministerial posts, which was considered an acceptance of servitude.
- A ksatriya's duty is to give charity, and a brahmana's duty is to accept charity, but not more than needed to maintain body and soul together. Therefore, when the brahmanas were given so much land by Lord Ramacandra, they returned it to Him and were not greedy.
- Because he (sudra) cannot even live without having a master. He must have a master to provide him. But the Vedic culture is that brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they will not accept any service.
- There must be brahmanas who are independent. Canakya Pandita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Maharaja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary.
- Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami were born in a high brahmana family, but because they accepted employment under a Muslim government, they were considered Muslims.
- That was the position of the two brothers, Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika. They belonged to the highly situated sarasvata-brahmana community, but they were ostracized due to their acceptance of ministerial posts in the government of Hussain Shah.
Acceptance of Emergency Occupations
The scriptures provide a clause for emergency situations (āpad-dharma). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that if a brāhmaṇa cannot maintain himself through his traditional duties, he may accept the profession of a kṣatriya or even a vaiśya. However, strict warnings are given that he should never descend to the profession of a śūdra, which is compared to the business of dogs.
- In the sastra it is said that a brahmana, if he's in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a ksatriya or up to vaisya, but never accept the occupation of a sudra. These are described in the sastras.
- In Srimad-Bhagavatam Narada Muni states that even if a brahmana is in a difficult position, he should not accept the occupation of a sudra. This means that he should not be engaged in service for another, for this is the business of dogs.
- It is advised in the authorized scriptures that a brahmana may, under awkward circumstances, accept the profession of a ksatriya or even a vaisya, but never is he to accept the profession of a sudra.
- This instruction by Krsna to the brahmana is very significant. The purport is that a true brahmana should not be disturbed in any situation. In this modern age, Kali-yuga, the so-called brahmanas have accepted the abominable position of sudras.
Purity and Qualifications for Acceptance
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the act of accepting charity is not a right that can be exercised indiscriminately. The recipient must be pure. If a brāhmaṇa accepts charity but is not qualified, or if he accepts from impure sources, he becomes implicated in sinful reactions. Conversely, a vaiṣṇava or one who has initiated into the line of sudrā-mahājana may be elevated to the platform of accepting such respect.
- Unless a brahmana is very pure, he cannot accept charity from others. Charity should be given to those who are pure. Even if one is born in a family of brahmanas, if one acts as a sudra one cannot accept charity, for this is strictly prohibited.
- The brahmana is always engaged in the worship of Lord Visnu. Therefore the brahmanas are eligible to accept all kinds of charity. But if the brahmanas receive excess charity, they are to distribute it for the service of Visnu.
- Formerly brahmanas would not accept charity from a person unless he were very pious. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this instruction for all spiritual masters.
- It is not the duty of rigid brahmanas and Vaisnavas to accept invitations everywhere. There is, of course, no objection to taking part in feasts in which prasada is distributed.
- Actually a sannyasi or a brahmana will not accept an invitation extended by a person born in a lower family. However, there are many devotees who are raised to the platform of brahmana by their initiation. These people are called sudra-mahajana.
Austerity and Renunciation
The hallmark of a genuine brāhmaṇa, as described by Śrīla Prabhupāda, is his voluntary acceptance of poverty. He is not interested in bodily comforts and relies solely on the mercy of the Lord. This renunciation is so profound that some brāhmaṇas would even refuse medical treatment, relying instead on the holy Ganges water.
- A pure brahmana voluntarily accepts a life of poverty and lives in complete dependence on the mercy of the Lord.
- A first-class brahmana does not accept any rewards from his disciples or yajamanas. Practicing austerities and penances, he instead goes to the agricultural field and collects food grains left by the agriculturalists to be collected by brahmanas.
- O exalted governors of various planets, the true brahmana, who has no material possessions, maintains himself by the profession of accepting silonchana. In other words, he picks up grains left in the field and on the ground in the wholesale marketplace.
- A very respectable brahmana in Calcutta never took a doctor's medicine. Even though he sometimes felt sick, he would not accept medicine from the physician but would simply drink Ganges water, and he was always cured within a very short time.
Examples of Acceptance in Pastimes
The scriptures are replete with examples of how great souls navigated these principles. Śrīla Prabhupāda points to Sudāmā Vipra's detached acceptance of opulence and Śukrācārya's rectification of Bali Mahārāja's sacrifice as key narratives underscoring the principle that acceptance is meant for service, not enjoyment.
- The brahmana (Sudama) accepted his newly acquired opulence, but he did so in a spirit of renunciation, remaining unattached to sense gratification, and thus he lived very peacefully with his wife.
- The brahmanas did not refuse Lord Ramacandra's gift, after accepting it they returned it to the King. The brahmanas were so pleased with Lord Ramacandra's affection toward them that their hearts melted.
- Sukracarya accepted the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full respect. Along with the best brahmanas, he began to compensate for the discrepancies in the sacrifices performed by Bali Maharaja.
- Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the then-existing order of sannyasa (namely eka-danda), He still recited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam about the tridanda-sannyasa accepted by the brahmana of Avantipura.
- Drauni (Asvatthama), although he belonged to the brahmana family and he accepted the profession of a ksatriya, he degraded so much that he cut off the heads of five sons of Draupadi while they were sleeping.
Conclusion
The principles governing the acceptance of a brāhmaṇa are designed to protect his spiritual status. As Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes, by restricting what he can accept—rejecting service and accumulating only what is necessary—the brāhmaṇa remains free from obligation to mortal masters, serving only the Supreme Lord. When society respects these boundaries and when brāhmaṇas adhere to them, the social order functions harmoniously, with the brāhmaṇa acting as the detached, independent head of the social body.
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