birth in brahmin family not required

In the Middle Ages, after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya's great associate Lord Nityananda, a class of priestly persons claimed to be the descendents of Nityananda, calling themselves the gosvami caste. They further claimed that the practice and spreading of devotional service belonged only to their particular class, which was known as Nityananda-vamsa. In this way, they exercised their artificial power for some time, until Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the powerful acarya of the Gauḍiya Vaisnava sampradaya, completely smashed their idea. There was a great hard struggle for some time, but it has turned out successfully, and it is now correctly and practically established that devotional service is not restricted to a particular class of men. Besides that, anyone who is engaged in devotional service is already on the status of being a high-class brahmana. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur's struggle for this movement has come out successful.    (More...)

It is on the basis of his position that anyone can now become a Gauḍiya Vaisnava, from any part of the world or any part of the universe. Anyone who is a pure Vaisnava is situated transcendentally, and therefore the highest qualification in the material world, namely, to be in the modes of goodness, is already achieved by such a person. Our Krsna consciousness movement in the Western world is based on the above-mentioned proposition of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, our spiritual master. On his authority, we are claiming members from all sections of the Western countries. The so-called brahmanas claim that one who is not born into a brahmana family cannot receive the sacred thread and cannot become a high-grade Vaisnava. But we do not accept such a theory because it is not supported by Rūpa Gosvami nor by the strength of the various scriptures.    (More...)

Srila Rūpa Gosvami specifically mentions herein that every man has the birthright to accept devotional service and to become Krsna conscious. He has given many evidences from many scriptures, and he has especially quoted one passage from Padma Purana, wherein sage Vasistha tells King Dilipa: "My dear King, everyone has the right to execute devotional service, just as he has the right to take early bath in the month of Magh [December-January]." There is more evidence in Padma Purana, in the Kasikhanḍa portion, where it is said: "In the country known as Mayūradhvaja, the lower caste people who are considered less than sūdras are also initiated in the Vaisnava cult of devotional service. And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuntha. In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brahmanas."    (More...)