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- Read on →: na brāhmaṇān me dayitaṁ rūpam etac catur-bhujam
na brāhmaṇān me dayitaṁ rūpam etac catur-bhujam |
sarva-vedamayo vipraḥ sarva-devamayo hy aham ||
duṣprajñā aviditvaivam avajānanty asūyavaḥ |
guruṁ māṁ vipram ātmānam arcādāv ijya-dṛṣṭayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.86.54–55)“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] This four-armed form of mine is not dear [to me] more so than a brāhmaṇa since a brāhmaṇa is constituted of all the Vedas and I am constituted of all the devas. Not understanding this, detractors [of brāhmaṇas] lacking insight, who are seers of worshipability [only] in the deity and so on [i.e., not in the brāhmaṇa], disregard the brāhmaṇa—the guru, me, the Self [i.e., they disregard the brāhmaṇa, who is worshipable just by virtue of his caste, and even more worshipable because (1) he is the guru, that is, the teacher of all other castes in society, (2) he is me, that is, non-different from me by virtue of being a paramount dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) of mine, and (3) he is the Self, that is, a form of the Supreme Self (Paramātmā)].”
- Read on →: nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśamena vā
nāham ijyā-prajātibhyāṁ tapasopaśamena vā |
tuṣyeyaṁ sarva-bhūtātmā guru-śuśrūṣayā yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.80.34)“I [Bhagavān], the Self of all beings, shall not be satisfied by sacrifice, higher birth [alt., procreation], austerity, or equilibrium as [I am] by service to the guru.”
- Read on →: brāhmaṇo janmanā śreyān sarveṣāṁ prāṇinām iha
brāhmaṇo janmanā śreyān sarveṣāṁ prāṇinām iha |
tapasā vidyayā tuṣṭyā kim u mat-kalayā yutaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.86.53)“A brāhmaṇa by birth is the best of all living beings here, and all the more so [is superior to others when] endowed with austerity, learning, contentment, and worship of me.”
- Read on →: tvaṁ hi brahma-vidāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ saṁskārān kartum arhasi
tvaṁ hi brahma-vidāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ saṁskārān kartum arhasi |
bālayor anayor nṝṇāṁ janmanā brāhmaṇo guruḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.8.6)“[Nanda Mahārāja to Garga Muni:] Since you are the best of knowers of Brahman, you are fit to perform the saṁskāras for these two boys [viz., Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma]. A brāhmaṇa by birth is the guru of human beings.”
- Read on →: jāti kula kriyā dhane kichu nāhi kare
jāti kula kriyā dhane kichu nāhi kare |
prema-dhana ārti vine nā pāi kṛṣṇere ||
ye te kule vaiṣṇavera janma kene nahe |
tathāpiha sarvottama sarva-śāstre kahe ||
ei tāra pramāṇa—yavana hari-dāsa |
brahmādira durlabha dekhila parakāśa ||
ye pāpiṣṭha vaiṣṇavera jāti-buddhi kare |
janma janma adhama-yonite ḍubi mare ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.10.99–102)“Caste [i.e., birth in a high caste], family [i.e., birth in a noble family], accomplishment [i.e., performing great worldly works], and wealth do not do anything [i.e., cannot enable anyone to attain Kṛṣṇa]. Without the wealth of prema and heartache (ārti), one does not attain Kṛṣṇa. A Vaiṣṇava’s birth may be in any family. Why not? Still, all the śāstras say the Vaiṣṇava is the most exalted of all [i.e., exalted above and beyond all who neglect to engage in bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān, regardless of their caste, family, accomplishments, and wealth]. The evidence of this is Yavana Hari Dāsa, who saw a manifestation [of Śrī Bhagavān] difficult to attain [even] for Brahmā and others. A sinner who considers a Vaiṣṇava to belong to a caste [i.e., be no different than others in the caste of his birth] sinks to a lowly form of life and dies birth after birth.”