Dharma in the material world refers to the temporary religious systems or social and occupational duties of service for the embodied living being. They are created by God and meant to elevate one gradually to the position of one’s eternal dharma. This system of varnashrama-dharma is categorized in four occupational classes:

1. Sudra/Worker class/Conditioned by the mode of ignorance
2. Vaisya/Mercantile class/Conditioned by the modes of ignorance and passion
3. Kshatriya/Administrator or warrior class/Conditioned by the mode of passion
4. Brahmana/Intelligent class/Conditioned by the mode of goodness

And four social divisions:

1. Brahmacari/Student
2. Grhastha/Householder
3. Vanaprastha/Retired
4. Sannyasa/Renounced

The conception of four castes and four orders of life, as planned by the Lord Himself (Bg. 4.13) is to accelerate transcendental qualities of the individual person so that he may gradually realize his spiritual identification and thus act accordingly to get free from material bondage or conditional life.

There are nine qualifications for all human beings: l) not to become angry, 2) not to lie, 3) to equally distribute wealth, 4) to forgive, 5) to beget children only by one’s legitimate wife, 6) to be pure in mind and hygienic in body. 7) not to be inimical toward anyone, 8) to be simple, and 9) to support servants or subordinates. One cannot be called a civilized person without acquiring the above-mentioned preliminary qualities.

Besides these, the brahmanas or the intelligent men, the administrative men, the mercantile community, and the laborer class must acquire special qualities in terms of occupational duties mentioned in all the Vedic scriptures.

This system of service or work is based on a person’s natural tendencies and qualities and is not a caste system that incorrectly places a person in an occupation based on the family they were born into. The system of occupational duties recognizes the type of service that each person is best suited for according to the mode of material nature acting on him, making it possible for society to work together towards the ultimate goal of life based on scientific spiritual principles of religion created by God. The ultimate goal of life is to become fully conscious of God and to be reinstated as the eternal loving servant of God.

Sense gratification, economic development, religiosity, and liberation are paths in the progression of human life and can be referred to as aspects of regulated religious life. Real religion always offers God realization as the ultimate end.

Any person correctly engaged in his occupational duties and faithfully discharging those duties to please the Supreme Lord, can achieve perfection. The world is a place of work and men of all four classes working together can create a society of harmony, prosperity, and peace. When the essence of this system is lost, the resulting society looks like the world today, devoid of religious principles, full of chaos, inequality, hypocrisy, class struggle, and social injustice, with no clear direction towards realization of the Supreme Lord.

The worker or laborer class serves the other three classes by their physical labor and are, in return, provided the necessities of life as compensation.

The mercantile class of men are attracted to business, farming, banking, production, and marketing, to make a good profit and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The administrative/warrior class of men find fulfillment in politics, public works, law enforcement, military, and sports, for power, fame, leadership, and martial domination.

The intelligent class of men desire to be engaged on the mental platform of science, philosophy, religion, education, and spiritual enlightenment, and are meant to guide society as the head of society.

The essence and goal of worldly dharma is to satisfy the Supreme Lord in the service of one’s life and work. By pleasing the Lord by working with determination and sincerity and always offering that work to Him, society is peaceful and prosperous, order is maintained, and one is elevated towards God realization and the position of Sanatana-dharma.

Sanatana-dharma is the eternal occupation of the eternal living being, the eternal activity that can never be changed or taken away. It can be described as an integral part of the living being such as heat to fire or liquidity to water. The sanatana-dharma of the living being is service and is manifested imperfectly on the material platform as temporary service and perfectly as eternal service to the Supreme Eternal Person in the spiritual dimension.

Sanatana-dharma has neither beginning nor end, unlike sectarian religions of the world. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing. That which is constantly existing within the eternal living being is the rendering of service. Service is the essential part of all living beings, his eternal quality, his eternal religion, his life itself.

This eternal occupation or function of every living being can only be fulfilled and perfected in relationship with the Supreme Living Being in the loving mood of service. The perfection of service is eternal pure loving devotional service to the Supreme Person, the only occupation of the living being. Every living being exists and was created for this service that bestows perfect unending happiness.

I can render this eternal loving service when I am either:

1. Within a material body
2. I am in my original spiritual form where there is no distinction or duality between myself and my spiritual body.

I follow the rules and regulations of dharma within this world as I practice relating to and serving God.  Sanatana-dharma and sadhana-bhakti both include the service of hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshipping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship, and surrendering everything to the Supreme Lord. Sadhana-bhakti is practicing these eternal activities in the material world which gradually elevates me to the perfection of these activities. I continue these activities eternally, serving Krishna in full loving devotion (sanatana-dharma).

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About Author:

Sahadeva Das is an initiated disciple of Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa who comes in a long line of bona fide yoga spiritual masters. Sahadeva Das considers it his great fortune in life to have heard and learned from a self-realized soul and is humbly attempting to pass on what he has received.