Dr. Patel: It was by action.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Guṇa, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. 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 a brāhmaṇa." You are a medical man.
Dr. Patel: Medical... You know, I think medical work is it brahminical or śūdric also?
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-brāhmaṇa.
Dr. Patel: No, that is all right. At least, little brāhmaṇa is good.
Guest (2): It is vaidyic. All vaidyas are brāhmaṇas.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, vaidyas means father brāhmaṇa, mother śūdra. That is vaidya.
Dr. Patel: They are sūtas.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Sūtas are brāhmaṇa mother and father, father kṣatriya. These sūt... No? Those brāhmaṇas were sūtas.
Prabhupāda: No. Sūtas means carpenter. Śūdra.