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 one āśrama may be following..., is followed by Western countries. They have got all the (indistinct) though they are not putting on (indistinct) and all. (Hindi) 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 brāhmaṇas, and so many brāhmaṇas 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 brāhmaṇa?" 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-brāhmaṇa.