aśaucam anṛtaṁ steyaṁ nāstikyaṁ śuṣka-vigrahaḥ |
kāmaḥ krodhaś ca tarṣaś ca svabhāvo’ntyāvasāyinām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.20)
“Non-cleanliness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, dry [i.e., baseless] quarrel, lust, anger, and greed are the nature of lowest dwellers [i.e., those born outside the four varṇas in the lowest of castes (antyajas)].”
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam |
mad-bhaktiś ca dayā satyaṁ brahma-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
tejo balaṁ dhṛtiḥ śauryaṁ titikṣaudāryam udyamaḥ |
sthairyaṁ brahmaṇyam aiśvaryaṁ kṣatra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
āstikyaṁ dāna-niṣṭhā ca adambho brahma-sevanam |
atuṣṭir arthopacayair vaiśya-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
śuśrūṣaṇaṁ dvija-gavāṁ devānāṁ cāpy amāyayā |
tatra labdhena santoṣaḥ śūdra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.16–19)
“Equanimity, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, contentment, forbearance, straightforwardness, bhakti to me, compassion, and truthfulness—these are the characteristics of brāhmaṇas. Might, vigor, resolve, valor, tolerance, munificence, endeavor, steadiness, brahmaṇya [i.e., support of brāhmaṇas], and dominion—these are the characteristics of kṣatriyas. Faith (āstikya) [in the śāstra], charitability, non-deceitfulness [i.e., honesty], service to brāhmaṇas, and non-satiation with increases of wealth—these are the characteristics of vaiśyas. Service without deceit to the twice-born, cows, and the devas, and satisfaction with that which is attained thereby—these are the characteristics of śūdras.”
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam |
jñānaṁ dayācyutātmatvaṁ satyaṁ ca brahma-lakṣaṇam ||
śauryaṁ vīryaṁ dhṛtis tejas tyāgaś cātma-jayaḥ kṣamā |
brahmaṇyatā prasādaś ca satyaṁ ca kṣatra-lakṣaṇam ||
deva-gurv-acyute bhaktis tri-varga-paripoṣaṇam |
āstikyam udyamo nityaṁ naipuṇyaṁ vaiśya-lakṣaṇam ||
śūdrasya san-natiḥ śaucaṁ sevā svāminy amāyayā |
amantra-yajño hy asteyaṁ satyaṁ go-vipra-rakṣaṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.21–24)
“Equanimity, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, contentment, forbearance, straightforwardness, knowledge, compassion, being of mind upon Acyuta [i.e., devotion to Śrī Viṣṇu], and truthfulness are characteristics of a brāhmaṇa. Valor, influence, resolve, might, charitablility, control of the mind, tolerance, brahmaṇyatā [i.e., being supportive of brāhmaṇas], clarity [alt., kindness], and truthfulness are the characteristics of a kṣatriya. Bhakti to the devas, the guru, and Acyuta [i.e., Viṣṇu], fostering the tri-varga [i.e., dharma, artha, and kāma], faith (āstikya) [in the śāstra], continuous endeavor, and expertise are the characteristics of a vaiśya. [Offering] Obeisances to the sat, cleanliness, service to one’s master without deceit, [performing] sacrifice (yajña) without [uttering] mantras, non-thievery, truthfulness, and protection of cows and brāhmaṇas are the [characteristics] of a śūdra.”
yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam |
yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.35)
“If a characteristic which is said to be an indicator of a person’s varṇa should be observed even elsewhere [i.e., even in a person born in a different varṇa], one should designate him [i.e., the person in whom the characteristic was observed] specifically with that [i.e., with the varṇa of that characteristic which was observed].”
saṁskārā yatrāvicchinnāḥ sa dvijo’jo jagāda yam |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.11.13)
“He in regard to whom the saṁskāras are uninterrupted and whom the Unborn One [viz., Brahmādeva] has mentioned [i.e., designated to be such] is a twice-born (dvija).”
dvitīyaṁ prāpyānupūrvyāj janmopanayanaṁ dvijaḥ |
vasan guru-kule dānto brahmādhīyīta cāhutaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.22)
“After receiving in sequence the second birth, the upanayana [-saṁskāra], and being invited [by a guru], a twice-born (dvija) should dwell in the house of the guru, be disciplined, and study the Veda.”
janmanā brāhmaṇo jñeyaḥ saṁskārair dvija ucyate |
vidyayā yāti vipratvaṁ tribhiḥ śrotriya-lakṣaṇam ||
(Yājñavalkya; cited in Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā and Vaiṣṇavānandinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.16.2)
“One is to be known as a brāhmaṇa by birth. One is called a twice-born by saṁskāras. One attains vipratva [i.e., the status of being a vipra, a learned person] by learning. The characteristic of a śrotriya [i.e., one who is conversant in the Veda] is by these three [i.e., one who is born in a brāhmaṇa family, receives the necessary saṁskāras, and attains the necessary learning is accepted as being śrotriya, that is, conversant in the Vedas].”
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)].”
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.”
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.”
