Just like Yadu (?) Thakura. We are discussing this in Caitanya-caritamrta. He belonged to the caste bhuni-mali. Bhuni-mali means the sweeper, bangi. He became a great Vaisnava. And Kalidasa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he was also very great Vaisnava, maha-bhagavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaisnava. He did not care whether he's a brahmana-vaisnava or sudra-vaisnava. Vaisnava is not sudra. But a Vaisnava coming from sudra family, sometimes they are called sudra-vaisnava. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He's sometimes called, Yavana-Haridasa. He's not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brahmana. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaisnava never says, "Yavana-Haridasa." He is "Namacarya Haridasa." Vaisnava... Why he should be yavana? Vaisnave jati-buddhih. Nobody should consider a Vaisnava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Krsna in any other way at present, therefore Krsna has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He's Krsna because everything is Krsna. So arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. We should not consider like that.   (More...)

Sthane sthitah means the varnasrama, four varnas and four asramas. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, and four asramas: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. So this is civilization. Unless the society is divided into these eight divisions, that is animal civilization. That is not human civilization. You must be systematized, regulated system. Just like in this body there are different divisions: the head division, the arm division, the belly division, and the leg division. Similarly, without these four divisions, no society can be conducted very nicely. Then it will be chaos. So sthane sthitah means to remain in these regulative principles of varnasrama. That is called sthane sthitah. You remain in your position. It doesn't require you have to change. It is not that a sudra, without becoming a brahmana... Of course, sudra will become brahmanaby hearing. Brahmana means brahma janatiti brahmanah. If he hears, even a sudra, he can understand what is Brahman. Then he becomes brahmana. So this is required. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. With great attention, body, mind and words, intelligencewith everything, one must hear.   (More...)