Each individual is born into a particular spiritual class according to one’s potential and need for the corresponding spiritual practice. God created the fourfold class system as a way for different people with different qualities to grow spiritually. Thus, a spiritual aspirant can progress spiritually by offering whatever he has to God. Lord Krishna has said, “The fourfold spiritual class system (varna) was created by me, according to qualities (gunas) and actions (karma).”

    A seeker with neither a sharp intellect nor a lot of wealth can serve God by offering his body to help spread Spirituality (divine teachings). On the other hand, one who has the capacity to righteously earn a lot of money can serve God by offering his wealth to a spiritual cause. One who has a sharp (spiritually pure) intellect can serve God by studying Spirituality and imparting spiritual knowledge to others. Finally, one has to surrender not only one’s body, mind and wealth, but also one’s life itself unto God. The fourfold spiritual class system comprises of the following classes:

Shudra

    Some people are born with neither an abundance of wealth nor that of (a spiritually impure) intellect. Such a person is not able to decipher the implied meanings of Holy texts correctly in order to impart spiritual knowledge unto others. The Lord has made provisions for such a seeker to grow spiritually by offering his body in divine service. Besides offering his services, a seeker of this spiritual class also offers his time. The various types of service include the physical preparations needed to help further the spread of Spirituality. Some examples are, setting up banners and posters for spiritual discourses, passing out flyers advertising spiritual events, cleaning up Holy places, cooking for religious ceremonies, etc. Service as per the Shudra class is by no means a lower form of service compared to service as per the other three classes, as it causes rapid reduction of ego, which brings about rapid spiritual progress. It should be noted that service to God as per the class is based on not only one’s potential, but also the need to do the particular type of service to complete the missing aspects of the seeker’s spiritual practice.

Vaishya

    Those who have the capacity to acquire wealth through righteous means can offer it unto spiritual causes. When offering wealth unto the service of the Truth, the attitude should be of humility. If the seeker offering wealth harbors the ego that it is he who is helping others or that the spiritual cause needs his help, then the offering will not count as spiritual practice. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. God does not need anyone’s help in taking care of His cause or Creation, since everyone and everything is already His. The seeker offering wealth is the one who is most benefited from the offering. As Swami Vivekananda has said, “Please do not give money to a beggar if you feel you are doing him a favor. The Lord is capable of protecting and nurturing His devotees, even in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. One benefits oneself by helping a beggar. It is the beggar who does us a favor.”

Kshatriya

    One who has the readiness to offer even one’s life unto the Absolute Truth (God) can perform the spiritual practice of a kshatriya. In reality, the spiritual battle is more within oneself than external. Only when one has sufficiently conquered one’s inner defects like anger, lust, desire, greed, pride, jealousy, can one perform the service of this spiritual class. Remaining unaffected by external factors (even a war) and not claiming doership for one’s actions are indicators of spiritual progress. Only when the external battle is to be fought, do most people realize just how prepared they are in these aspects. The key factors to remember while doing the spiritual practice of a Kshatriya is that one can do it effectively only when one is above 55% spiritual level. Only then, one does it with spiritual emotion, not out of psychological emotion, and only at the instruction of the spiritually evolved rather than as per one’s own liking or thinking.

Brahmin

    One who has a spiritually pure intellect can perform the service of this spiritual class. It entails studying Spirituality and imparting spiritual knowledge to others. A seeker needs to have an evolved seeker’s or disciple’s qualities, namely intense desire for Liberation, obedience to the Guru, an attitude of service, surrender, humility, etc., to be able to undertake the service of this spiritual class. A seeker of this spiritual class offers not only his mind and intellect, but also his life, wealth, and body unto God. Thus, he is required to perform service as per all the other spiritual classes.