Although the two brothers, Rupa and Sanatana (at that time Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika), presented themselves as being born in a low family, they nonetheless belonged to a most respectable brahmana family that was originally from Karnata. Thus they actually belonged to the brahmana caste. Unfortunately, because of being associated with the Muslim governmental service, their customs and behavior resembled those of the Muslims. Therefore they presented themselves as nica-jati. The word jati means birth. According to sastra, there are three kinds of birth. The first birth is from the womb of the mother, the second birth is the acceptance of the reformatory method, and the third birth is acceptance by the spiritual master (initiation). One becomes abominable by adopting an abominable profession or by associating with people who are naturally abominable. Rupa and Sanatana, as Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika, associated with Muslims, who were naturally opposed to brahminical culture and cow protection. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (Seventh Canto) it is stated that every person belongs to a certain classification. A person is identifiable by the special symptoms mentioned in the sastras. By one's symptoms, one is known to belong to a certain caste. Both Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika belonged to the brahmana caste, but because they were employed by Muslims, their original habits degenerated into those of the Muslim community. Since the symptoms of brahminical culture were almost nil, they identified themselves with the lowest caste. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is clearly stated that because Sakara Mallika and Dabira Khasa associated with lower-class men, they introduced themselves as belonging to the lower classes. Actually, however, they had been born in respectable brahmana families.