Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 10
Varṇāśrama-dharma as a Path to Bhakti
Yuga-dharma Origins, Universal Virtues, Brahmacarya and Gṛhastha Duties
आदौ कृतयुगे वर्णो नृणां हंस इति स्मृत: । कृतकृत्या: प्रजा जात्या तस्मात् कृतयुगं विदु: ॥ १० ॥
ādau kṛta-yuge varṇo nṛṇāṁ haṁsa iti smṛtaḥ kṛta-kṛtyāḥ prajā jātyā tasmāt kṛta-yugaṁ viduḥ
Am Anfang, im Kṛta-yuga (Satya-yuga), gab es unter den Menschen nur eine einzige soziale Klasse, die haṁsa genannt wurde. In jenem Zeitalter waren die Menschen von Geburt an kṛta-kṛtya, das heißt reine Geweihte des Herrn; daher nennen Gelehrte dieses erste Zeitalter Kṛta-yuga, die Zeit, in der alle Pflichten des Dharma vollkommen erfüllt sind.
It is understood from this verse that the supreme religious principle is unalloyed surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Satya-yuga there is no influence of the lower modes of nature, and therefore all human beings belong to the highest social order, called haṁsa, in which one comes under the direct supervision of the Personality of Godhead. In the modern age people are crying out for social equality, but unless all human beings are situated in the mode of goodness, which is the position of purity and unalloyed devotion, social equality is not possible. As the lower modes of nature become prominent, secondary religious principles arise, by which people may be gradually elevated to the pure stage of unalloyed surrender to God. In Satya-yuga there are no inferior human beings, and thus there is no need of secondary religious principles. Everyone directly takes to the unalloyed service of the Lord, fulfilling perfectly all religious obligations. In Sanskrit, one who perfectly executes all duties is called kṛta-kṛtya, as mentioned in this verse. Therefore Satya-yuga is called Kṛta-yuga, or the age of perfect religious action. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word ādau (“in the beginning”) refers to the moment of universal creation. In other words, the varṇāśrama system is not a recent concoction but naturally arises at the time of creation and should therefore be accepted by all intelligent human beings.
FAQs
This verse says that in Kṛta Yuga people were naturally pure and spiritually accomplished, so a single “Haṁsa” order prevailed rather than complex social divisions.
In the context of teaching varṇāśrama-dharma, Kṛṣṇa describes how human society and duties manifest differently in different yugas, beginning with the purity of Kṛta Yuga.
Cultivate inner purity and completion of duty—truthfulness, self-control, and devotion—so one’s life becomes “kṛta” (well-accomplished) even amid Kali-yuga conditions.