Brahmana means the first class

Expressions researched:
"Brahmana means the first class" |"First-class man means brahmana" |"The perfect human being means brahmana, the first-class" |"brahmana class means the first-class"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

First-class man means brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means he is truthful, he is self-controlled, he is simple, he is tolerant.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

There is another nature, the spiritual nature, which is beyond this material nature. That material nature... Vyaktāvyakta means some portion is manifested and some portion is not manifested. And we get information from Bhagavad-gītā that the spiritual nature is beyond this manifested and nonmanifested cosmic situation. So Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme authority says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If somebody cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can go there. It is not difficult; simply you have to change your mode of life. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means to be pure in the original spiritual existence. We are pure as Brahman, as spirit soul, but because we have contaminated these material modes of nature, our consciousness is now different. So on account of different consciousness, there are three classes of men. One class of men is very intelligent; one class of men, very passionate; and one class of men, fools and rascals. So in order to understand your promotion to the spiritual world, you have to become first-class man. First-class man means brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means he is truthful, he is self-controlled, he is simple, he is tolerant... In this way there are nine qualification to become first-class man. And to become first-class man, the preliminary qualification is that you should not become sinful.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So brāhmaṇa means the first class, means one who knows—brāhmaṇa. And śreṣṭhāḥ, the best of the brāhmaṇas, means that he knows not only what is Brahman, but he knows what is Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Los Angeles, August 16, 1972:

Best of the brāhmaṇas means these devotees. To become brāhmaṇa means the best of the learned scholars. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. Everyone is born śūdra-janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Śūdra means the fourth-class man. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By reformation, by cultivation of knowledge and culture, one becomes second class, third class and first class. So brāhmaṇa means the first class, means one who knows—brāhmaṇa. And śreṣṭhāḥ, the best of the brāhmaṇas, means that he knows not only what is Brahman, but he knows what is Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Three stages. Simply knowing Brahman is not perfect knowledge; you must know what is Paramātmā, you must know what is the Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is addressed here, dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ.

The brāhmaṇa class means the first-class ideal men, so that by the seeing their character, their behavior, others will try to follow.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The human society, by the will of God there are four classes of men. The first-class is the brāhmaṇa; the second-class, the kṣatriya; the third-class, the vaiśyas; and all others, fourth-class, śūdras. So at the present moment, practically there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya, only śūdras, fourth-class men. So you cannot expect any happiness guided by the fourth-class men. That is not possible. Therefore throughout the whole world there is chaotic condition. Nobody is happy. So this is essential that the human society must be divided into four divisions. The brāhmaṇa class means the first-class ideal men, so that by the seeing their character, their behavior, others will try to follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to create some first-class men. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this movement. So therefore we have got these rules and regulation: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is the preliminary qualification of a first-class man. So we are trying our bit to make some men ideal first-class men. But formerly it was there. Catur... Still there is.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The perfect human being means brāhmaṇa, the first-class, perfect being. That is brāhmaṇa. And brāhmaṇa's duty is for paropakāra.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

It is the duty of the brāhmaṇa. Paropakāra. And without being human being, how he can become a brāhmaṇa? Cats and dogs cannot become brāhmaṇa. The perfect human being means brāhmaṇa, the first-class, perfect being. That is brāhmaṇa. And brāhmaṇa's duty is for paropakāra. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, avaiṣṇava-gurur na sa syāt. A... One who is Vaiṣṇava... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He becomes guru because He's udāra. Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo...

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)