बाहुभ्योऽवर्तत क्षत्रं क्षत्रियस्तदनुव्रतः ।
यो जातस्त्रायते वर्णान्पौरुषः कण्टकक्षतात् ॥३१॥

bÄhubhyo 'vartata ká¹£atraá¹
kṣatriyas tad anuvrataḥ
yo jÄtas trÄyate varṇÄn
pauruá¹£aḥ kaṇṭaka-ká¹£atÄt

 bÄhubhyaḥ - from the arms; avartata - generate d; ká¹£atram - the power of protection; ká¹£atriyaḥ - in relation to the power of protection; tat - that; anuvrataḥ - followers; yaḥ - one who; jÄtaḥ - so becomes; trÄyate - delivers; varṇÄn - the other occupations; pauruá¹£aḥ - representative of the Personality of Godhead; kaṇṭaka - of disturbing elements like thieves and debauchees; ká¹£atÄt - from the mischief.


Text

Thereafter the power of protection was generated from the arms of the gigantic virÄá¹­ form, and in relation to such power the ká¹£atriyas also came into existence by following the ká¹£atriya principle of protecting society from the disturbance of thieves and miscreants.

Purport

As the brÄhmaṇas are recognized by their particular qualification of inclination towards the transcendental knowledge of Vedic wisdom, so also the ká¹£atriyas are recognized by the power to protect society from the disturbing elements of thieves and miscreants. The word anuvrataḥ is significant. A person who follows the ká¹£atriya principles by protecting society from thieves and miscreants is called a ká¹£atriya, not the one who is simply born a ká¹£atriya. The conception of the caste system is always based on quality and not on the qualification of birth. Birth is an extraneous consideration; it is not the main feature of the orders and divisions. In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.41-44) the qualifications of the brÄhmaṇas, ká¹£atriyas, vaiÅ›yas and śūdras are specifically mentioned, and it is understood that all such qualifications are needed before one can be designated as belonging to a particular group.

Lord Viṣṇu is always mentioned as the puruá¹£a in all Vedic scriptures. Sometimes the living entities are also mentioned as puruá¹£as, although they are essentially puruá¹£a-Å›akti (parÄ Å›akti or parÄ praká¹›ti), the superior energy of the puruá¹£a. Illusioned by the external potency of the puruá¹£a (the Lord), the living entities falsely think of themselves as the puruá¹£a although they actually have no qualifications. The Lord has the power to protect. Of the three deities BrahmÄ, Viṣṇu and MaheÅ›vara, the first has the power to create, the second has the power to protect, and the third has the power to destroy. The word puruá¹£a is significant in this verse because the ká¹£atriyas are expected to represent the puruá¹£a Lord in giving protection to the prajÄs, or all those who are born in the land and water. Protection is therefore meant for both man and the animals. In modern society the prajÄs are not protected from the hands of thieves and miscreants. The modern democratic state, which has no ká¹£atriyas, is a government of the vaiÅ›yas and śūdras, and not of brÄhmaṇas and ká¹£atriyas as formerly. MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira and his grandson, MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it, were typical ká¹£atriya kings, for they gave protection to all men and animals. When the personification of Kali attempted to kill a cow, MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it at once prepared himself to kill the miscreant, and the personification of Kali was banished from his kingdom. That is the sign of puruá¹£a, or the representative of Lord Viṣṇu. According to Vedic civilization, a qualified ká¹£atriya monarch is given the respect of the Lord because he represents the Lord by giving protection to the prajÄs. Modern elected presidents cannot even give protection from theft cases, and therefore one has to take protection from an insurance company. The problems of modern human society are due to the lack of qualified brÄhmaṇas and ká¹£atriyas and the overinfluence of the vaiÅ›yas and śūdras by so-called general franchise.