Who is a real brahmana?
There is a deep-rooted misconception prevailing in the society regarding the four social orders of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra as per the Hindu religion. According to the scriptures, the brahmanas are considered to be the highest of them and they are respected by all. They are supposed to guide the people of other three orders in their respective duties and help them gradually progress on the spiritual path. These divisions are made on the basis of the qualities of a person and his tendency to take up a particular work (guna-karma-vibhaga) as stated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me.”
Lord Krishna is therefore the creator of the four divisions of the social order, beginning with the intelligent class of men, technically called brahmanas due to their being situated in the mode of goodness. Next is the administrative class, technically called the ksatriyas due to their being situated in the mode of passion. The mercantile men, called the vaisyas, are situated in the mixed modes of passion and ignorance, and the sudras, or laborer class, are situated in the ignorant mode of material nature. Human society is similar to any other animal society, but to elevate men from the animal status, the above mentioned divisions are created by the Lord for the systematic development of Krishna consciousness. The tendency of a particular man towards work is determined by the modes of material nature which he has acquired.
Thus this system of four divisions of the human society purely based on guna and karma is universally applicable and not limited to a particular country like India. But it was misused by the brahmanas for the purpose of achieving their personal motives by dominating the other sections. The son of a brahmana claimed himself to be a brahmana even when he did not possess brahminical qualities. Similarly a sudra, even though possessing the qualities of a brahmana was always regarded as a sudra.
The son of a doctor cannot automatically become a doctor. Though there are better chances that he can become a doctor, unless he becomes a doctor he cannot be accepted as such. On the other hand, even the son of a farmer can become a doctor provided he has got that qualification. Similarly one cannot automatically become a brahmana because one is born in a brahmana family. He can be accepted as a brahmana if he meets all the brahminical qualifications. 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 pancharatra, as well as many other scriptures.
For example, according to external vision, Haridasa Thakura belonged to a Muslim family during the time of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Nevertheless, because he engaged himself in performing the yajna of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, he became a regularly initiated brahmana.
Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita, “O son of Partha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaisyas [merchants] and sudras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.” Here the Supreme Lord says that in devotional service there is no distinction between the lower and higher classes of people. In the material conception of life there are such divisions, but for a person engaged in transcendental devotional service to the Lord there are not. Everyone is eligible for the supreme destination. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that even the lowest, who are chandalas (dog-eaters who are less than sudras), can be purified by association with a pure devotee. Therefore devotional service and the guidance of a pure devotee are so strong that there is no discrimination between the lower and higher classes of men; anyone can take to it.
Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON showed this by his personal example. He went to foreign countries, spread the congregational chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna and preached the philosophy of Krishna consciousness in every part of the world. He systematically trained thousands of materialistic people including women who were leading sinful lives with no knowledge of the ultimate purpose of human form life. He gradually reformed them by convincing them to follow the four regulative principles – no meat eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling. He accepted thousands of devotees as his disciples after making it sure that they followed the brahminical principles and practiced bhakti-yoga as taught by him and thereby were qualified to take initiation from him. Some of the initiated devotees were also given sannyasa. Thus Srila Prabhupada showed that even mlecchas and yavanas (those who are unclean or meat-eaters, without any Vedic culture) can be initiated into Vaishnava fold by proper training. It was recommended by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that His name should be heard in every nook and corner of the world. This would not have been possible unless a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada had not preached everywhere and made disciples irrespective of their nationality, religion and color, despite criticisms from the ignorant caste brahmanas in India.
In Krishna consciousness movement, the student is offered his first initiation and is allowed to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. By chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra regularly and following the regulative principles, he becomes qualified to be initiated as a brahmana with the Gayatri mantra which entitles him to cook for Lord Vishnu and worship Him.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his book Hari-bhakti-vilasa says that "As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person, even though not golden pure, can be transformed into a brahmana, or dvija, simply by the initiation process." Therefore one should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession.
Story of Real Brahmin
Once there was a "brahmin" and a cobbler. They used to lead lives of there own using whatever prowess krishna gave them. But dont forget krishna also gave them an illusion of free will, so they could use there powers they way they wanted to.
The "brahmin" used to run a gurukul, had mugged up all scriptures and was a very greedy, swollen middle aged man. The levels of gluttony he used to commit was beyond belief, he could gulp down more food than 20 horses combined and all he did in the "name" of the lord on the money of poor farmers who used to invite him to perform pious rituals and yajnas for rain and better harvest.
The cobbler on the other hand was leading his life on the weaker end. He stiitched shoes roadside by the day and trembled by the nights, because he had only but a piece of rag in the name of a blanket. But still he was full of love and joy, because he had pure and unbiased love for krishna. Unlike the "brahmin" he was not envious of lord.
One day Narada visited the lord in Vaikuntha, where he was seated blissfully enjoying the beauty of his own creations and expansions. Narada asked him a small question, " my lord who do you consider to be your real devotee, the "holy" man who does yajnas in your name or the poor rat who stiches shoes". Lord gave a mysterious smile, and rather than giving a clear answer he asked Narada to visit each of them, and when they asked what was the lord doing he should answer " lord was passing an elephant through the eye of a needle".
Narada began his journey , he first visited the"brahmin". When Narada entered his gurukul he was busy eating and scolding his poor students. When the 'brahmin" saw Narada, he started acting diplomatically, he did ample number of fake gestures like getting up from is 'aasan", doing dandvat pranaam to narada, washing his feet with rose water and then massaging them, offering beautiful flowers and deliceous prasadam. Narada momentarily became happy with all the mundane offerings he had received.Then Narada sat on a beautiful aasan the "brahmin" had arranged. The "brahmin" staarted having a chat with Narada about Vaikuntha. Everything was happening peacefully, then the "brahmin" started asking about lord himself, "how does he looks", "how does he sounds","what is he wearing".....all these questions got answered, but then he asked the question Narada wanted him to ask, the "brahmin" asked "what was the lord doing".Narada replied "Lord was passing an elephant from he eye of a needle". The "brahmin" burst into a disrespectful and loud laughter, he ridiculed Narada for this "illogical" and "funny" answer. Narada immediately got offended and walked away
He then visited the cobbler and at once felt pity on his condition. The cobbler was doing his menial work in the scorching heat of afternoon sun. Narada however got a little disappointed though because consumed in his menial jobs the cobbler could not extend any courtesies to the saint. However they could engage in a small spiritual conversation. Narada answered all his questions like he answered the "brahmin"'s. Finally came the question of what was the lord doing and Narada gave the same reply and opposite to Narada's expectations the cobbler became extremely ecstatic on hearing the response, he closed his eyes and with joined hands started swaying in pure joy and singing the mercy of lord. A teardrop appeared near his eye, and he kept singing. He said "only my lord can do such miracles".
Narada immedeately understood what the lord wanted to explain him, because that is how a good teacher treats his student they tell them where to look but never tell what to look for. Narada understood that the fat man who called himself a brahmin was just an imposter with no regards for te supreme-soul and deserved to be flogged in hell for all the cruelties he did to the poor farmers in the name of lord. However it was the cobbler who despite his birth in a lower caste family was a real saint .... the REAL brahmin, because he had pure unbiased love and devotion for the lord.
However the next morning the cobbler who woke with the same mentality of pure love for lord and was readying for another harsh day came across hundreds of gold coins in the bag he used to keep is tools. He had a very troubled life till that day, he had been beaten up, had to starve, had to listen to all cursings from rich men and had given up hope for any material opulence in this birth, he was determined to face it till the end with the help of lord's blessings, but tis was completely unexpected and once again e closed his eyes and started thanking the lord in his prayers with full humbleness. A beautiful breeze started blowing, which brought te smell of beautiful flowers and manjaris from all around, sun light made is room glow brighter than itself and colourful songbirds came chirping from all around. While on the other hand the false brahmin opened his safe to count his wealth which he accumulated from poor farmers , he also received a surprise that morning whic was however unpleasent to him. All his wealth ad been replaced by "go-mutra" to clense himself of all the sins he had done and become pure.
However, the impure soul he was, e started raving like a mad man about all his knowledge and that lord can not do this to someone like him who was born a "brahmin". O if by any mercy from heavens had the poor man known that no can be a bramin just by being born in the family of another brahmin, it can be attained only by someone who has faith in lord and chants his holy name, ten only can one become THE REAL BRAHMIN.
