A brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service. That is especially forbidden, that a brāhmaṇa. . . Brāhmaṇa, even if he is in difficulty, he should not accept anyone's service like a dog. Especially this word is used. A dog cannot live without master. A dog, if he hasn't got a good master is a street dog. He may be killed at any time. He has no protection. Therefore this very word is used. Śūdra means dog. He must have a master, otherwise he cannot live. So there are classes of men, śūdras. No, they must have a protection. Women must have protection, because they cannot do anything independently. To give them independence means to create some trouble. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is clearly said, na strī svātantryam arhati. Woman cannot be given independence. No. They must be protected. When they are child, up to twelve years, thirteen years, say, fifteen, sixteen years, not more than that, she must be protected by the father. And at the age of thirteen to sixteen years, she must be married. Find out some boy who can take charge, the second charge. And when she's old, the charge is given to the elderly sons. So woman is protected like that.
So śūdras also should not be given independence. They should be given protection, but no independence. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is. Striyaḥ means woman, śūdra, and vaiśya—they are put into the same category. In Bhāgavata also, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). So one has to be enlightened. As the śūdra can be enlightened under good protection, similarly, a woman can also be enlightened.
There is no, I mean to say "barricade" to enlighten woman. Everyone can be enlightened. Everyone has got the light. But ordinarily the śūdra and the vaiśyas, they are not to be considered very intelligent. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone is born śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By saṁskāra... Just like we follow. Not all of a sudden we accept anyone as brāhmaṇa. We give saṁskāra, chanting. First of all, association. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. By good association, by the association of devotees, one can understand automatically what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) Let him sit properly. So saṁskāra... Saṁskāra... Although the śūdras are not given any saṁskāra...Because those who are in the very lowest stage of life, it is very difficult for them to accept saṁskāra, reformatory method. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, under the direction of Gosvāmīs and pañcarātra system, they are giving the opportunity everyone to become a brāhmaṇa.
Because without becoming brāhmaṇa, nobody can understand what is Kṛṣṇa or what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be on the platform of goodness. When one is fixed up on the platform of goodness, the other two qualities—namely, ignorance and passion—cannot disturb him. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18).
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. If you kindly continue to hear about Him, as you are doing, then Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased, "Oh, this person is now interested in me." Because nobody's interested in Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is also silent to them. But as soon as you become interested, oh, Kṛṣṇa becomes very active, "Oh, he's trying to do something. I shall help him." In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. What is that verse? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa says. He's silent for the nondevotees, but he speaks to the devotees. That is very natural. If some big man... He talks with men who are intelligent, who is businesslike. Why he wastes his time talking with some rascals and fools? So Kṛṣṇa talk, but talks to the devotee. Who are devotee? Satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Those who are 24-hours engaged in rendering loving devotional service to the Lord. To such person Kṛṣṇa gives intelligence, not others.