One of our Godbrothers, he went to London and he met Lord Zetland. He got some introduction letter from India. This Lord Zetland, sometimes he was governor of Bengal. So when we were student, he came to our college. He was very learned philosopher; especially he was lover of Indian philosophy. So that my Godbrother saw the Marquis of Zetland, he inquired that, "Swāmījī, can you make me a brahmin?" He said: "Why not? We can make you brahmin." "So what is to be done?" So he asked him that, "You give up these four principles of sinful life: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating and no intoxication." So he immediately replied, "Impossible. Impossible. This is not possible for us. This is our life. We cannot give up this." So that Swāmījī replied, "Then you cannot become a brahmin." This is the principle.
So brāhmin means one who knows God. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmana. brāhmin is not by birth. So anyone who can understand what is God, he becomes brāhmin. The same example: anyone who is highly learned scholar and lawyer, he becomes a high court judge. Or if you see one high court judge, it is to be understood that he has passed all these. Similarly, brāhmin means one who knows God. Unless you know God, unless you know Kṛṣṇa, you cannot engage yourself fully, devoutly, in the service of the Lord. It is . . . Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. It is not possible to know Him fully. But svalpam apy asya dharmasya (BG 2.40): if you understand Him slightly—it is not possible to understand Him fully; slightly—then you become a brāhmin.