
Chapter Two

SMARTAS (Caste Brahmanas)

smartavyah satatam visnu vismartavyo na jatucit sarve
vidhi-nisedhah syur etayor eve kinkarah

"The Padma Purana recommends: somehow or other always think of Visnu, without
forgetting Him under any circumstances. Actually this is the most basic of all
regulative principles. For, when there is an order from a superior about doing
something, there is simultaneously a prohibition. When the order is that one
should always remember Krsna, the prohibition is that one should never forget
Him. Within this simple order and prohibition, all regulative principles are
found complete." (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter Two)

The word smrti means "that which is remembered." It is a classification of
Vedic scriptures including dharma-sastras like Manu-smrti that give rules and
regulations for the orders and asramas of civilized human life, and histories
like the Puranas that give practical illustrations of how great personalities
did or did not follow these rules and what their fate was as a result. Thus
the smrti-sastras can be grouped into two divisions: "law books" and "law
journals."

But why are they given the name smrti? Like laws, they are to be considered
before doing something that might have legal repercussions. Can I ride my
elephant on the expressway? Either I learn the traffic code, section and
paragraph that applies to elephant driving, or I review the verdict of a trial
that dealt with the same. The point is, I should remember the law before I
act, or risk being punished.

The above quote from the Padma Purana concerns, as do all smrti-sastras, the
law of karma. Here the verdict is, if we simply remember Visnu or Krsna before
doing anything, we'll not transgress the law. If we forget Him, we unavoidably
transgress it even if we remember to observe lesser rules and regulations,
because keeping Krsna always in mind is the purpose of all those rules and
regulations.

But not everyone understands that purpose. There are three classes of
brahmanas: the dvija, the vipra and the Vaisnava. The third-class dvija has
accepted the sacred thread, the second-class vipra has studied the Vedas and
the first-class Vaisnava knows the goal of the Vedas: always remember Krsna
and never forget Him. A vipra who is not a devotee can never know the real
sense of the rules and regulations of scripture; like a crooked lawyer, he'll
use the law to enrich himself materially. The non-devotee vipra is what is
meant by the term smarta-brahmana. "A smarta-brahmana is always interested in
material profit, whereas a Vaisnava is interested only in satisfying the
Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Bhag. 8.19.33, purport)

Smarta-brahmanas completely reverse the instruction of the Padma Purana:
rather than always remember Krsna and thus fulfill the rules and regulations,
they remember the rules and regulations and always forget Krsna.

There are many traits the smartas share with the jata-gosani. This is because
the jata-gosani lost their Vaisnava qualifications by slipping back into
upper-caste pride or upadhi-bhuta (acceptance of false designation), which is
shunned by those on the factual brahma-bhuta platform. The upadhi-bhuta of the
jati-gosani is their blood lineage to medieval Vaisnava-brahmana families that
were somehow connected to Lord Caitanya's movement. Coming under smarta
influence, the descendents of these families gradually revived caste rules and
taboos from the smrti-sastras in order to assert their supposed congenital
superiority over other communities.

"Sometimes a caste guru says that yei krsna-tattva-vettha, sei guru haya means
that one who is not a brahmana may become a siksa-guru or a
vartma-pradarsaka-guru but not an initiator guru. According to such caste
gurus, birth and family ties are considered foremost. However, the hereditary
consideration is not acceptable to Vaisnavas." (C.C. Madhya 8.128, purport)

That the jata-gosani are compromised by smarta conceptions becomes very clear
when we consider the following:

"There is a difference between the smarta process and the gosvami process.
According to the smarta process, one cannot be accepted as a brahmana unless
he is born in a brahmana family. According to the gosvami process, the
Hari-bhakti-vilasa and the Narada-pancaratra, anyone can be a brahmana is he
is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master." (C.C. Madhya 23.105,
purport) Still, if the caste gosvami at least maintains his family tradition
of exclusive Visnu-murti worship, he remains distinct from the smarta-brahmana
community. The smartas, following the Mayavadi pancopasana conception, regard
Lord Visnu as one of five forms of Brahman. Of the five (Durga, Ganesa, Surya,
Siva and Visnu), Bengali smartas have always preferred goddess Durga because
she supplies her devotees with material opulence.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries A.D., the importance of the Bengali
smarta community was practically nullified by Lord Caitanya's sankirtana
movement. Among the great Vaisnava-acaryas of that period, Srila Narottama
dasa Thakura stands out as the preacher who most cut down their pride. The
smartas, considering him just a low-born kayastha, became so infuriated at his
making disciples from among their ranks that they enlisted the king, Raja
Narasimha, and a conquering pandita named Sri Rupanarayana, to lead a crusade
to somehow expose Acarya Thakura as a fraud. The king, the pandita and a large
party of caste brahmanas made their way to Kheturi, where Srila Narottama dasa
had his headquarters.

When Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja and Sri Ganga Narayana Cakravarti, two
Vaisnava-brahmanas, came to know of the smarta conspiracy, they disguised
themselves as sudras and set up two small shops in the Kumarapura market: one
a pan and betel nut shop and the other a store selling clay pots.

As the party arrived at Kumarapura, the smartas sent their disciples to the
market to purchase wares for cooking. When the students came to the shops of
Ramacandra and Ganga Narayana, they were dumfounded to find that these
"wallas" spoke perfect Sanskrit and were eager not to do business but to
engage in philosophical disputation. Finding themselves outmatched, the
distressed students called for their gurus, who arrived on the scene with Raja
Narasimha and Rupanarayana. When the smartas fared no better than their
disciples, Rupanarayana himself was drawn into the debate and soundly
defeated.

When, the king demanded they introduce themselves, the two shopkeepers humbly
submitted that they were low-born and insignificant disciples of Srila
Narottama dasa Thakura Mahasaya. Smarting in shame, Rupanarayana and the
smarta-brahmanas lost interest in proceeding to Kheturi. They all decided to
return immediately to their respective homes.

That night at home, Raja Narasimha had a dream in which an angry Durga-devi
threatened him with a chopper used for killing goats. Glaring at him with
blazing eyes, the goddess said, "Narasimha! Because you greatly offended
Narottama dasa Thakura, I shall have to cut you to pieces! If you want to save
yourself, then you had better immediately go and take shelter at his lotus
feet."

Frightened out of his wits, his sleep broken, the king quickly took bath and
set out for Kheturi. When at last he arrived, he was surprised to meet the
pandita Rupanarayana, who sheepishly explained that he'd had a similar dream.
They both entered the temple of Sri Gauranga in order to meet Srila Narottama
dasa Thakura. Acarya Thakura was absorbed in his bhajana, but when a disciple
informed him of the arrival of the two guests, he came out to meet them.
Simply by seeing his transcendental form, the two offenders became purified
and fell down to offer their obeisances at the Thakura's lotus feet. Finally
he initiated them with Radha-Krsna mantra.

Because their leaders became Vaisnavas, many lesser smartas thought it prudent
to externally adopt Vaisnava customs. This is how the smarta-apasampradaya, or
Vaisnavism compromised by caste brahmanism, began. The smartas think they have
monopoly rights on initiating persons born in brahmana families, and that only
such persons as initiated by them can wear the sacred thread. On this issue
they bitterly oppose the spiritual masters of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya,
who award the sacred thread to devotees from any background on the basis of
spiritual qualification. (*) The smartas also claim exclusive right to worship
the saligram-sila. And of course they never marry outside of the brahmana
caste: this taboo is followed so rigidly that a smarta father would rather
give his daughter to the son of a tantrik-brahmana than a non-brahmana
Vaisnava.

Smashing all these arrogant notions, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
soundly defeated the smarta-apasampradaya at Valighai Uddharanapura in
September of 1911. He presented a work entitled Brahmana o Vaisnavera Taratmya
Vishayaka Siddhanta in which he conclusively argued the superiority of
Vaisnavas to brahmanas. Sambidananda dasa relates that he read this paper
before a gathering of more than ten thousand panditas, and though he was the
youngest speaker present, he was acclaimed by the judges as the winner of the
dispute. Still, attempts were made to harm him, and he was placed under police
protection.


Caste Brahmana Values

According to ISKCON observers, the Bengali caste brahmanas have become so
materialistic that they no longer show interest in religious affairs (many
have become leaders in the Communist Party of West Bengal). But the smarta
contamination has a subtle side that ISKCON devotees would do well to
familiarize themselves with. It is a shift of values more than of behavior or
even philosophy.

Smarta values are purusarthika. Vaisnava values are paramapurusarthika. The
difference between the two are explained by Srila Prabhupada thusly:

"Purusartha ('the goal of life') generally refers to religion, economic
development, satisfaction of the senses and, finally, liberation. However,
above these four kinds of purusarthas, love of Godhead stands supreme. It is
called paramapurusartha (the supreme goal of life) or purusartha-siromani (the
most exalted of all purusarthas)." (C.C. Antya 7.24, purport)

The Vaisnavas value regulated activities prescribed in the scriptures that
cultivate pure love of Godhead. Indeed, they are forbidden by Srimad
Bhagavatam 1.2.9 to value these activities for anything less. The Vaisnavas
therefore perform their duties according to paramapurusarthika-smrti-sastras
like Narada Pancaratra, Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, Sri Sat-Kriya-Sara-Dipika, and
Samskara-Candrika-Paddhati, which reveal the Krsna conscious purport to the
duties of the varnas and asramas. The smartas, on the other hand, follow
purusarthika-smrti-sastras like Karma Vipaka Maharnava, Karma-Kanda-Paddhati,
Prayascitta Kadamva, Prayascitta-Parijata, Prayascitta-Pradipika,
Smarta-Vyavastharnava, and so on. The acara of a strict smarta-brahmana and a
strict Vaisnava may externally be hardly distinguishable, but the
consciousness is completely different. For instance:

a) The smartas observe varnasrama-dharma as a means to engage and satisfy
their own worldly desires. The Vaisnavas observe it for the satisfaction of
Visnu.

b) Though the smartas officially worship Lord Visnu, they think Him subject to
reincarnation and the regulations of sastra. Side-by-side Visnu, the Smartas
worship demigods as equals to Him. Their attitude is offensive, and thus their
worship is never accepted by Lord Visnu.

c) Smartas observe Ekadasi to enhance their sense of self-accomplishment.
Vaisnavas observe Ekadasi to enhance their devotion to the Lord.

d) Smartas bathe in the Ganga to be washed clean of sins. Vaisnavas think of
the Ganga as nectar emanating from the lotus feet of Lord Visnu.

e) Smartas establish temples and install Deities for economic considerations.
They think they, by their rituals, bring life to the form of the Lord. They
utilize temples for self-advertisement and for social and moral welfare, e.g.
as hospitals and mundane day schools. Smartas think the only qualification for
worshiping the Deity is birth in a brahmana family. The smartas fail to
understand that nama-sankirtana is the life and soul of all religion in this
age, including Deity worship. They therefore see the Deity as a statue and
have no loving reciprocation with Him.

f) Smartas commit the offense of arthavada harinama kalpanam whenever they
chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. (This is the offense of considering the
chanting of Hare Krsna to be one of the auspicious ritualistic activities
offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities).

g) Smartas enjoy prasadam and caranamrta, whereas the Vaisnavas respect these
sacred items.

h) Though the smartas accept initiation from a guru, they do it out of social
custom with no regard for his qualification or the seriousness of the vows of
initiation. The smarta disciple keeps the guru as a pet, and the guru keeps
the disciple as a means of maintenance.

i) For the smarta, dharma is a matter of bodily identification and activity.
Vaisnavas understand it as devotional service to Krsna, the sad-dharma of the
soul.

j) Smartas value Tulasi-devi as a plant of medicinal value. They usually hide
their Tulasi neckbeads, wearing them openly only on ceremonial occasions.
Sometimes they treat Tulasi with great ceremonial pomp, but only to advertise
their own apparent piety. As a part of this exaggerated piety, they offer
Tulasi leaves at the feet of the guru, though Tulasi should only be offered to
Krsna's lotus feet. They think that by dropping Tulasi leaves on any
preparation - even fish - it becomes automatically acceptable to the Lord.

k) Smartas cherish all sorts of mundane ideas about the Vaisnava scriptures.
They agree with the Vaisnavas that it is a good thing to memorize
Srimad-Bhagavatam, because then one can make money by bhagavat-saptaha
recitations. They understand the Bhagavad-gita to be a blend of different
religious concepts like karma, jnana, mystic yoga, and bhakti, or a book on
war, politics, impersonalism and social liberation.

l) Smartas partake in rites of birth, marriage and death in the ignorant
bodily conception, and thus derive great pleasure or pain from them.

m) They observe Caturmasya for fruitive gain and liberation, not as a means of
dedicating themselves to the service of the Lord.

n) The Smartas' idea of gotra (family) is totally mundane. For them, gotras
facilitate reproduction of the brahmana community. They intermarry only
between select family lines, which are listed as 8, 29, and up to 3 crore (30
million). The Vaisnavas know only one gotra - the Acyuta Gotra, which is
Krsna's own transcendental family of devotees.

o) When Smartas visit the holy dhama, they follow external rules such as those
prescribed in Astavimsati-Tattva (The Twenty-eight Propositions) by
Raghunandana Bhattacarya. Here it is advised that great piety will be gained
by visiting Jagannath Puri on the Snana-yatra Day. One's forefathers will be
greatly satisfied and sinful reactions eradicated. But there is no instruction
on how to satisfy Lord Jagannatha on this day and thus advance in devotional
service. Smartas fast and shave their heads in the holy dhama because they
believe these activities will relieve them from sins and bring auspiciousness.
They fear that they incur sins by accepting maha-prasadam in the holy dhama
without first cleaning their mouths. If maha-prasadam is served by a
non-brahmana, they think it becomes impure. Likewise, if maha-prasadam or
Ganges water is transported away from the dhama by train, bus or car, it loses
its potency. Smartas also engage in materialistic calculations about the
relative benefits of visiting one holy place instead of another. For obtaining
a particular boon, they may visit Puri instead of Vrndavana, thinking that
Vrndavana is not so effective in satisfying this specific desire. But another
kind of benediction is better sought in Dvaraka than at Puri, and so on. They
also believe that there are certain months when it becomes inauspicious to
visit a particular holy place. By their highfalutin ways, smartas simply
commit offenses at the feet of the holy name, holy dhama, the Vaisnavas, the
Deity and maha-prasadam.

Vaisnavas have no selfish desires they expect the dhama to fulfill, nor do
they have sins to unload there. They know that the places of the Lord's
pastimes, the temples and Deities, devotional service, devotees and devotional
paraphernalia, and all the times and circumstances thereof, are
transcendental.

Maha-prasadam is honorable even if it drops on the ground from the mouth of a
hog. Lord Caitanya was very pleased with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya when he
accepted prasadam upon just rising from bed. Sarvabhauma took the role of a
smarta-brahmana in Lord Caitanya's pastimes to show this community that their
only salvation is the association of a pure devotee.


*Until the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the wearing of the sacred
thread was not considered very important by many Gaudiya Vaisnavas because
their spiritual lives were centered on bhajana. In his purport to C.C. Madhya
8.128, Srila Prabhupada writes, "Sometimes a Vaisnava who is a bhajananandi
does not take the savitra-samskara (sacred thread initiation), but this does
not mean that this system should be used for preaching. There are two kinds of
Vaisnavas - bhajananandi and gosthyanandi. A bhajananandi is not interested in
preaching work, but a gosthyanandi is interested in spreading Krsna
consciousness to benefit the people and increase the number of Vaisnavas. A
Vaisnava is understood to be above the position of a brahmana. As a preacher,
he should be recognized as a brahmana; otherwise there may be misunderstanding
of his position as a Vaisnava." In his revival of the preaching mission of
Lord Caitanya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura performed the
savitra-samskara for his disciples; he met opposition even from disciples from
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura who thought he was transgressing the sampradaya.
But this does not necessarily mean he introduced something before unseen in
the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. Historian Dr. Ramkantha Cakravarti has
furnished evidence that the savitra-samskara was previously observed in some
Vaisnava communities of Bengal, but not all; these communities even awarded
the sacred thread to devotees from non-brahmana families. This tradition had
long been decried by the smarta-apasampradaya, but Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati made it the standard.

