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To take birth in a family of brahmanas is not the ultimate finishing touch; one must have the power of a brahmana, which is called brahma-tejas. Similarly, taking birth in a royal family is not the all in all; one must possess the power to rule the world. Similarly, taking birth as a vaisya is not all; one must possess hundreds or thousands of animals (specifically cows) and rule over other vaisyas as Nanda Maharaja did in Vrndavana. Nanda Maharaja was a vaisya who possessed nine hundred thousand cows and ruled over many cowherd men and boys. A person who is born in a sudra family can become greater than a brahmana simply by accepting devotional service and giving aural reception to the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. (More...) It is not a fact that because one is born in a brahmana family he is automatically a brahmana. He has a better chance to become a brahmana, but unless he meets all the brahminical qualifications, he cannot be accepted as such. On the other hand, if the brahminical qualifications are found in the person of a sudra, he should immediately be accepted as a brahmana. To substantiate this there are many quotations from Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, Bharadvaja-samhita and the pancaratra, as well as many other scriptures. (More...) This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam when Narada speaks of the different symptoms characterizing the four divisions of social life. Narada therein summarizes that brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras should be selected by their individual qualifications. In his commentary, Sridhara Svami has noted that birth in a family of brahmanas does not necessarily mean that one is a brahmana. One must be qualified with the symptoms of a brahmana, as the symptoms are described in the sastras. In the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, there are two great acaryas (Thakura Narottama and Syamananda Gosvami) who were not born in brahmana families but were accepted as spiritual masters by many brahmanas of fame, including Ganganarayana, Ramakrsna, etc. (More...) One's position should be established by personal qualifications and not by birth. For example, if a man is born in a brahmana family but his personal qualifications are those of a sudra, he should be accepted as a sudra. Similarly, if a person is born in a sudra family but has the qualifications of a brahmana, he should be accepted as a brahmana. All sastric injunctions, as well as the versions of great sages and authorities, establish that a bona fide spiritual master is not necessarily a brahmana. The only qualification is that he be conversant with the science of Krsna, Krsna consciousness. That alone makes one perfectly eligible to become a spiritual master. This is the conclusion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His discussions with Ramananda Raya. (More...) The regulative principles are such that one who follows them is promoted from the platform of fruitive activities to the platform of transcendental knowledge. After many, many lifetimes of cultivating transcendental knowledge, one becomes perfect when he surrenders unto the Lord. This is the general procedure. But one who surrenders at the very beginning, as recommended in this mantra, at once surpasses all preliminary stages simply by adopting the devotional attitude. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (18.66), the Lord at once takes charge of such a surrendered soul and frees him from all the reactions to his sinful acts. There are many sinful reactions involved in karma-kanda activities, whereas in jnana-kanda, the path of philosophical development, the number of such sinful activities is smaller. But in devotional service to the Lord, the path of bhakti, there is practically no chance of incurring sinful reactions. One who is a devotee of the Lord attains all the good qualifications of the Lord Himself, what to speak of those of a brahmana. A devotee automatically attains the qualifications of an expert brahmana authorized to perform sacrifices, even though the devotee may not have taken his birth in a brahmana family. Such is the omnipotence of the Lord. He can make a man born in a brahmana family as degraded as a lowborn dog-eater, and He can also make a lowborn dog-eater superior to a qualified brahmana simply on the strength of devotional service. (More...) So a ksatriya... These four principles must be there in the society, brahmana, ksat... The brahmana will not be required to fight. A brahmana will not be required to work like sudra. A brahmana will not be required to work like vaisya. Therefore brahmana can beg. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigrahah. This is brahmana's business. He must be good scholar in Vedic literature and he must teach others. Not that "I have learned everything; I'll not teach anything." No. Brahmana must be well-versed in the Vedic literature and he must preach also, make others also brahmana, pathana pathana. Not that "I have become brahmana. So there is no need of others becoming brahmana. There will be competition." Just like in India they have become very much afraid that I am making Europeans and Americans brahmanas, so they are very much against me. They come to fight with me. In Hyderabad they came to fight. "Sir, you are making brahmanas, these Europeans and Americans? This is not good." "And why not?" So we had some discussion. So actually it is not that brahmana is made by birth. Brahmana means, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. By quality and work. Similarly, everything, by quality and work. This is confirmed by Narada Muni. (More...) Everyone is lamenting because he's a sudra. Sudra's business is to lament. But when one understands, brahmana, brahma janatiti brahmanah, he does not lament. We have seen many brahmanas. They are not very materially opulent, but they are happy. They are happy with Krsna. That is brahmana's business. Brahmana-vaisnava. Brahmana must be a Vaisnava, Krsna conscious. If a brahmana is not Vaisnava, then he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the sastra. Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A vipra, a brahmana, a learned... Vipra means a learned brahmana. Veda-pathad bhaved viprah. One who has learned, studied all the Vedic literatures and has acquired knowledge, he is called vipra. So simply studying Vedic literature will not do. Brahma janatiti brahmanah. He must realize what is Brahman. Then he becomes brahmana. Brahmana is a qualification. It is not by birth. Brahmana... (More...) Otherwise it doesn't matter what he is, which family he's born. It doesn't matter. Krsna says, you'll find, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni. To take birth low-grade family, or animal family, these are called papa-yoni. Krsna says that it doesn't matter if one is born in the papa-yoni, low-grade family. It doesn't matter. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. In the human society, striyah sudras tatha vaisyah, even woman and sudra and vaisya, they are also taken in the category of papa-yoni. Papa-yoni means their intelligence is not very sharp. That is called papa-yoni. And a brahmana means to become very, very highly intellectual. That is called brahmana. Because he'll understand Brahman. (More...) So the whole world is going like that, guna-karma-vibhagasah. So guna means we are, according to our position or according to our mentality, we are infecting some guna, sattva-rajas-tamo-guna. So guna-karma, guna-karma-vibhagasah. Very scientific this is. You can become... If you acquire the qualities of a brahmana, then, and if you work as a brahmana, then guna-karma-vibhagasah, you become a brahmana. If you have the qualities of a ksatriya and if you work as a ksatriya, then you are ksatriya. If you have the qualification of a mercantile man, businessman, and if you work as a businessman or cultivator, then you become vaisya. This is very scientific. Not that one is classified according to the birth. No. According to qualification. Just like there is medical association. Medical association does not mean all the medical men in the association, they are born of the same family. No. They are born in different families. But because they have got qualification and working as medical man, they are admitted as the member of medical association or member of bar association. This is practically. Similarly, if you acquire the qualification of a brahmana and if you work as a brahmana, then you are accepted as a brahmana. Similarly ksatriya, similarly vaisya. 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