Modaka - a confectioner

thälika - plate maker

tambülikåt - preparer of betel leaves

gopa - a milker of cows (distinct from the vaiçya, who owns the cows)

näpita - a barber

All are counted in the çüdra category, but the gopas and näpitas are the true çüdras.

The vaiçya, performing duties such as farming, commerce, and cow protection, and avoiding such fruitive actions which cause one to enjoy or suffer in heaven or hell, and serving only the brähmanas and kñatriyas, is superior to a çüdra serving the higher classes.

Superior to such a vaiçya is a kñatriya, who in his occupation serves the brähmaëas of great devotion and faith, and with determination protects all living entities by his heroic qualities. Superior to such a kñatriya is a brähmaëa who has destroyed the karma causing material bondage and suffering in hellish conditions, who has the eight or twelve qualities as described in Çrémad Bhägavatam, and who chants only the Brahmä-Gäyatré and avoids all rituals aiming at material enjoyment. The twelve qualities are stated in Mahäbhärata by Sanat Sujata:

dharmaç ca satyaà ca damaç tapas ca

hy amätsaryaà hrés titikñänasüya

yajïaç ca dänaà ca dhåtiù çrutaà ca

vratäëi vai dvädaça brähmaëasya

“Religiosity, truthfulness, sense-control, austerity, nonenvy, modesty, tolerance, freedom from fault-finding, sacrifice, charity, steadiness and knowledge are the twelve qualities of a brähmaëa.”

'Vai' means certainly. These are the twelve qualities of brähmaëas who are purified by chanting Gäyatré mantra. 'Dharma' means to be steady in proper behaviour, avoiding nonreligious action. 'Satyam' means always being truthful, even till the end of life. 'Dama' means sense control. 'Tapa' means to be steady in daily austerity, not giving trouble to the body for fruitive results. 'Hré' means always being modest because of great civility, out of fear of social dishonour and falling to a low position. 'Amätsarya' means free from jealousy, free from showing one's household opulence to put down others. A person should be enthusiastic to see other’s advancement. 'Titikña' means to be tolerant of abusive speech, insult, defeat, disregard, disrespect and other bodily troubles. 'Anasüyä' means not finding any fault in others. 'Yajïa' means non-fruitive sacrifices, but the yajïa of chanting Gäyatré mantra hundreds and thousands of times. 'Dänaà' refers to those charitable activities like distributing water, food, clothes to all whether invited or uninvited guests, relatives and others who are within or outside of the varëäçrama system, with devotion and according to ones ability. There is no saìkalpa (vow) or desire to enjoy the fruit of such distribution. 'Dhåti' means firmness and satisfaction of mind without disturbance from the turbulence of the material world. 'Çruta' means having natural attraction for studying, teaching and hearing the Vedas in the mode of goodness.

The qualties of brähmaëas are also described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.5.28, 7.7.9, and 7.11.21. In Närada Païcarätra 1.2.42 it says that the svadharma of the brähmaìas is to serve Kåñëa and to eat His naivedya (an offering of bhoga to the Deity) and to drink His pädaka water daily.

Superior to such a brähmaëa is a brahmacäri who practises all the brähmiëical qualities faithfully throughout his life, and practises all the rules of brahmacärya or penance as mentioned in the Çruti, Småti, and Puräëas. Superior to such a brahmacäri is a gåhastha, a householder who has the same brähminical qualities and offers service to guests, who come by their own will without any invitation, with food and water, and satisfies them according to his ability. The vanaprastha, who has renounced his gåhastha-äçrama and stays in the forest with his wife, following strictly all rules of brähmiëical qualities, is superior to such a householder. And the sannyäsé or an ascetic who practices all the rules and regulations as prescribed in the Vedas, Puräëas, Upa-Puräëas, and Mahäbhärata is superior to such a vanaprastha.

(This last section shows that the sannyäsé, the topmost person in the varëäçrama system, gives up all fruitive actions -worship of devatäs and pitås completely. He is a model for all others to follow.)

In Bhagavad-Gétä 18.2, Lord Kåñëa speaks about sannyäsa to Arjuna:

kämyänäà karmaëäà nyäsaà

sannyäsaà kavayo viduù

sarva-karma-phala-tyägaà

prähus tyägaà vicakñaëäù

“Giving up of activities that are based on material desire is what great learned men call the renounced order of life (sannyäsa). And giving up the result of all activities is what the wise call renunciation (tyäga).”

Giving up of kämya karmas is known by the learned men as sannyäsa, and giving up the result of activity is called tyäga or renunciation by the wise men. There is a deep import in the words of the Lord. One may ask whether one may perform all the nitya and naimittika activities if only kämya karmas are rejected. If that were so, then what is the question of sannyäsa? The Çruti says “oà tad vän vai karmakåt, sannyäso naigamaà karma ca, anyäsät karmé, (nyäsat) sannyäsaù he héti.” One who does not give up Vedic performance is a karmé, and one who gives it up is a sannyäsé. The word 'hi' means certainly, 'naigama' means activities prescribed in the Vedas. In this world the performer of such activities is certainly called a karmé. Being talented in all such activities he is called karmaöha or active. Therefore not performing such activities gives rise to sannyäsa, and one who performs the duty of sannyäsa is called sannyäsé.

The meaning of sannyäsa is mentioned in Uttara Gitä:

nityaà naimittikaà kämyaà

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