Devanagari
यस्य यल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं पुंसो वर्णाभिव्यञ्जकम् ।
यदन्यत्रापि दृश्येत तत्तेनैव विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ३५ ॥
Verse text
yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ
puṁso varṇābhivyaṣjakam
yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiśet
Synonyms
yasya
—
of whom
;
yat
—
which
;
lakṣaṇam
—
symptom
;
proktam
—
described (above)
;
puṁsaḥ
—
of a person
;
varṇa
—
abhivyaṣjakam — indicating the classification ( brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, etc.)
;
yat
—
if
;
anyatra
—
elsewhere
;
api
—
also
;
dṛśyeta
—
is seen
;
tat
—
that
;
tena
—
by that symptom
;
eva
—
certainly
;
vinirdiśet
—
one should designate .
Translation
If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
If anyone shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has born in a different class, he should be designated according to those symptoms.
However, if a man designated by a particular varṇa shows the qualities of another varṇa, he should be classified according that other varṇa, and should be called by that name, such as brāhmaṇa. What is meant by “showing qualities” is showing general qualities like control of the sense and mind (for the brāhmaṇa for instance), not particular actions like performing sandhya rites. This means he should be given the respect like a brāhmaṇa. One should not say “Performing another’s dharma is dangerous” since attaining qualities like control of the senses and mind is not another’s dharma.
Thus ends the commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
Chapter Twelve
Description of the Āśramas
Purport
Herein it is clearly stated by Nārada Muni that one should not be accepted as a
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya
or
śūdra
according to birth, for although this is going on now, it is not accepted by the
śāstras.
As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā
(4.13)
,
cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ.
Thus the four divisions of society —
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya
and
śūdra
— are to be ascertained according to qualities and activities. If one was born in a
brāhmaṇa
family and has acquired the brahminical qualifications, he is to be accepted as a
brāhmaṇa;
otherwise, he should be considered a
brahma-bandhu.
Similarly, if a
śūdra
acquires the qualities of a
brāhmaṇa,
although he was born in a
śūdra
family, he is not a
śūdra;
because he has developed the qualities of a
brāhmaṇa,
he should be accepted as a
brāhmaṇa.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to develop these brahminical qualities. Regardless of the community in which one was born, if one develops the qualities of a
brāhmaṇa
he should be accepted as a
brāhmaṇa,
and he then may be offered the order of
sannyāsa.
Unless one is qualified in terms of the brahminical symptoms, one cannot take
sannyāsa.
In designating a person a
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya
or
śūdra,
birth is not the essential symptom. This understanding is very important. Herein Nārada Muni distinctly says that one may be accepted according to the caste of his birth if he has the corresponding qualifications, but otherwise he should not. One who has attained the qualifications of a
brāhmaṇa,
regardless of where he was born, should be accepted as a
brāhmaṇa.
Similarly, if one has developed the qualities of a
śūdra
or a
caṇḍāla,
regardless of where he was born, he should be accepted in terms of those symptoms.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
entitled “The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes.”