Touching on Varnashram

Monday, September 21st, 2026

Rosedale, Toronto

It is the last day of summer, officially, and the coolness in the air proves it. I have noticed lately

at this time of year there is a surge of skunks in the out-of-doors. They appear to be fattening up in response to the chill coming on. Also, in the spring often times kits are born, so by the late summer/early fall they are practically full grown and are hungry. I have noticed those cute

creatures on my walks, by seeing, and casualties on the road triggered by smelling.

On today’s walk which I completed as the sun descended, I set myself up indoors for my Gita

Chat zoom call with recipients in the western provinces and states. Our verse for this day was

4.13 from the Gita, where Sri Krishna speaks about the social structure He established Himself

for some type of order, the varna and ashram system. Briefly in the purport our guru,

Prabhupada, describes that social order in terms of the four social psychophysical natures of

people.

In June of 1976 a journalist Kathy Kerr came to Toronto at our temple ashram to meet

Prabhupada. She had good questions. One of them was concerning this varna and ashram

structure, however, in her question she used the term “the caste system.” Prabhupada expressed that the term is a misnomer. Many people assume it is a social hierarchy. But that is very simplistic. It can be better understood through reading the books of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The term “varnashram” is used more than the word “Krishna,” I presume. Read and learn.

Don’t get skunked!

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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