Dr. Patel: The greatest gift to the humanity is varṇāśrama-dharma by the ancient culture of India.
Prabhupāda: No, it is given by God.
Dr. Patel: Whatever it is . . . but I mean, that is the greatest gift.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: varṇāśrama-dharma. And I don't know why people don't follow it.
Prabhupāda: But there is no guidance. There is no guidance.
Dr. Patel: Even imperceptibly varṇāśrama may be following . . . is followed by Western countries. They have got all the . . . (indistinct) . . . though they are not putting on . . . (indistinct) . . . and all. (Gujrati) But this is . . . presently we are living in Kali-yuga.
Prabhupāda: Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). varṇāśrama-dharma is there, but it is not organized. Varṇa . . . because it is made by God, mayā sṛṣṭam, it cannot be violated. So . . . but it in a perverted way. Therefore you are suffering.
Dr. Patel: But in old days, I think, this varṇāśrama-dharma was followed . . .
Prabhupāda: Strictly.
Dr. Patel: I am reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therein so many princes turned into brahmins, and so many brahmins turned into daityas.
Prabhupāda: But that is . . .
Dr. Patel: It was by action.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Guṇa, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not by birth. Guṇa-karma. Just like you are kṣatriya, but because you have acquired the qualification of medical man and you are working as a medical man, therefore you are medical man. Nobody asked you, "You are a kṣatriya or you are a brahmin?" You are a medical man.
Dr. Patel: Medical . . . you know, I think medical work, is it brahminical or śūdrical?
Prabhupāda: That we shall consider later on.
Dr. Patel: (laughs) 'Cause I'll not say now so that I will drive out my doubt about me.
Prabhupāda: It is half-brahmin