SB 5.4.14
bhagavan rsabha-samjña atma-tantrah svayam nitya-nivrttanartha-paramparah kevalanandanubhava isvara eva viparitavat karmany arabhamanah kalenanugatam dharmam acaranenopasiksayann atad-vidam sama upasanto maitrah karuniko dharmartha-yasah-prajanandamrtavarodhena grhesu lokam niyamayat.
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rsabhadeva was fully independent because His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental bliss. He eternally had nothing to do with the four principles of material misery [birth, death, old age and disease]. Nor was He materially attached. He was always equipoised, and He saw everyone on the same level. He was unhappy to see others unhappy, and He was the well-wisher of all living entities. Although He was a perfect personality, the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless acted as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. Therefore He strictly followed the principles of varnasrama-dharma and acted accordingly. In due course of time, the principles of varnasrama-dharma had become neglected; therefore through His personal characteristics and behavior, He taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the varnasrama-dharma. In this way He regulated the general populace in householder life, enabling them to develop religion and economic well-being and to attain reputations, sons and daughters, material pleasure and finally eternal life. By His instructions, He showed how people could remain householders and at the same time become perfect by following the principles of varnasrama-dharma.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
The varnasrama-dharma is meant for imperfect, conditioned souls. It trains them to become spiritually advanced in order to return home, back to Godhead. A civilization that does not know the highest aim of life is no better than an animal society. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum. A human society is meant for elevation to spiritual knowledge so that all of the people can be freed from the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. The varnasrama-dharma enables human society to become perfectly fit for getting out of the clutches of maya, and by following the regulative principles of varnasrama-dharma one can become successful. In this regard, see Bhagavad-gita 3.21-24.