Outside of Varnashram Dharma
From Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode's Jaiva Dharma chapter 7
Yadava Das: O saintly bābājī, householder devotees live under the shelter of thevarṇāśrama system. May a householder devotee leave the varṇāśrama system?
Ananta Das: Ah! The vaiṣṇava religion is very broad and generous. Another name for thevaiṣṇava religion is ‘jaiva-dharma’, the religion for all human beings. This means that every human being is qualified to join the vaiṣṇava religion. Even outcastes may embrace thevaiṣṇava religion and live as householders. For them there is no varṇāśrama. Those who break the varṇāśrama rules of sannyāsa may, by associating with devotees, attain pure devotional service and be householder devotees. For them there are no rules ofvarṇāśrama. Those who because of their misdeeds have left the varṇāśrama system may still, along with their children, take shelter of pure devotional service in the association of the devotees. Then they are householder devotees, but they are not part of the varṇāśramasystem. Householder devotees are of two kinds: varṇāśrama-dharma-yukta, those who follow the varṇāśrama system, and varṇāśrama-dharma-rahita, those who do not follow thevarṇāśrama system.
Yadava Das: Of these two, which is the best?
Ananta Das: He who has more devotion is the best. If neither have any devotion then according to the material point of view the follower of varṇāśrama is better because he is pious and the other is an outcaste. However, from the spiritual point of view they are both degraded, for neither has any devotion.
Signature from the front Page of Bhaktivinode Thakur’s handwritten Autobiography “Swalikhita Jivani” from BRC’s Birnagar Collection
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