Natural Duties Of A Brahmin - Prabhupada 0950
670123 - Lecture CC Madhya 25.36-40 - San Francisco
Those who are actually Brāhmin, they must be truthful, always clean, inside and outside. Truthful, clean, and controlling the senses, śama dama, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, controlling the mind; śama dama titikṣa, tolerance, tolerance; ārjavam, simplicity; and jñānam, must be profoundly wise; vijñānam, practical application in life; jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, full faith in scriptures and in God, or Kṛṣṇa, āstikyam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam: "These are natural duties, or work, of a Brāhmin."
And in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find in another place, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). "These four classes of classification of the society, it is made by Me." That means this classification of society in the human society, that is made by God. What is that classification? The Brāhmin, the Kṣatriya, the Vaiśya and the Śūdra. It is not the name, but it is guṇa-karma. Brāhmin means quality and work, Kṣatriya means quality and work, and Vaiśya means quality and work. There is no question of birthright.
It is a false proposition that a Brāhmin's son becomes Brāhmin. No, not necessarily. If he properly becomes initiated under the guidance of a spiritual master, then he is Brāhmin. Otherwise, if he has acquired the qualities of a Śūdra, then he should be considered as a Śūdra. These are the śāstric injunctions. And this classification is all over the world. Don't think that it is Indian or Vedic system. No. In every country, in every place, in every planet, these four divisions are there.