strÄ«-śūdra-dvijabandhÅ«nÄá¹
trayÄ« na Å›ruti-gocarÄ
karma-Å›reyasi mÅ«á¸hÄnÄá¹
śreya evaṠbhaved iha
iti bhÄratam ÄkhyÄnaá¹
ká¹›payÄ muninÄ ká¹›tam
33 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LBG(10) , LSB(19) , SB(1) , TLKS(3)
strÄ« - the woman class; śūdra - the laboring class; dvija-bandhÅ«nÄm - of the friends of the twice-born; trayÄ« - three; na - not; Å›ruti-gocarÄ - for understanding; karma - in activities; Å›reyasi - in welfare; mÅ«á¸hÄnÄm - of the fools; Å›reyaḥ - supreme benefit; evam - thus; bhavet - achieved; iha - by this; iti - thus thinking; bhÄratam - the great MahÄbhÄrata; ÄkhyÄnam - historical facts; ká¹›payÄ - out of great mercy; muninÄ - by the muni; ká¹›tam - is completed.
Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the MahÄbhÄrata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.
The friends of the twice-born families are those who are born in the families of brÄhmaṇas, ká¹£atriyas and vaiÅ›yas, or the spiritually cultured families, but who themselves are not equal to their forefathers. Such descendants are not recognized as such, for want of purificatory achievements. The purificatory activities begin even before the birth of a child, and the seed-giving reformatory process is called garbhÄdhÄna-saá¹skÄra. One who has not undergone such garbhÄdhÄna-saá¹skÄra, or spiritual family planning, is not accepted as being of an actual twice-born family. The garbhÄdhÄna-saá¹skÄra is followed by other purificatory processes, out of which the sacred thread ceremony is one. This is performed at the time of spiritual initiation. After this particular saá¹skÄra, one is rightly called twice-born. One birth is calculated during the seed-giving saá¹skÄra, and the second birth is calculated at the time of spiritual initiation. One who has been able to undergo such important saá¹skÄras can be called a bona fide twice-born.
If the father and the mother do not undertake the process of spiritual family planning and simply beget children out of passion only, their children are called dvija-bandhus. These dvija-bandhus are certainly not as intelligent as the children of the regular twice-born families. The dvija-bandhus are classified with the śūdras and the woman class, who are by nature less intelligent. The śūdras and the woman class do not have to undergo any saá¹skÄra save and except the ceremony of marriage.
The less intelligent classes of men, namely women, śūdras and unqualified sons of the higher castes, are devoid of necessary qualifications to understand the purpose of the transcendental Vedas. For them the MahÄbhÄrata was prepared. The purpose of the MahÄbhÄrata is to administer the purpose of the Vedas, and therefore within this MahÄbhÄrata the summary Veda of Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ is placed. The less intelligent are more interested in stories than in philosophy, and therefore the philosophy of the Vedas in the form of the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, is spoken by the Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. VyÄsadeva and Lord Kṛṣṇa are both on the transcendental plane, and therefore they collaborated in doing good to the fallen souls of this age. The Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. It is the first book of spiritual values, as the Upaniá¹£ads are. The VedÄnta philosophy is the subject matter for study by the spiritual graduates. Only the postgraduate spiritual student can enter into the spiritual or devotional service of the Lord. It is a great science, and the great professor is the Lord Himself in the form of Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu. And persons who are empowered by Him can initiate others in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
