Prabhupāda: Yes. Especially the brāhmins, they keep the shaven head. Brāhmins are the topmost class. (aside) What is the symptoms of brāhmin, find out.
Nitāi:
- śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
- kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
- jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
- brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
- (BG 18.42)
"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge and religiousness, these are the qualities by which the brāhmins work."
Prabhupāda: So the Vedic conception is that the human society should be divided into four divisions, namely the brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, natural division. One section of the human society should work as the brain. Another section should work just like the arms, another section like the belly, another section like the leg. These four divisions are essential. That is also mentioned, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). (aside) Find out this verse.
Prabhupāda: Page?
Nitāi: 235.
Yogeśvara: You have it?
Nitāi: You want to read it?
Yogeśvara:
- cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
- guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
- tasya kartāram api māṁ
- viddhy akartāram avyayam
- (BG 4.13)
"According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me." (translates)
Prabhupāda: Just like by nature there are four division in the body—the brain, the arm, the belly, and . . . all of them required . . . you cannot reject any one of them. Then it is not fullness. But the brain should be the, I mean to say, prime director, managing director. So the qualification of brāhmins are stated. Śamo damas titikṣā? Eh? So at the present moment the society has no brain, because there is no person, no person who is qualified like that, samo damas titikṣā. (aside) So their qualification, brāhmin qualification, find out page.
Nitāi: It's eight twelve.
Yogeśvara: Eight twelve?
Prabhupāda: 8 12.
Yogeśvara: (reads verse 18.42 translation in French)
Swiss man (1): (French)
Yogeśvara: He says: "Does this Kṛṣṇa consciousness message apply as well to the outcastes?"
Prabhupāda: Outcaste? There are four castes only.
Swiss man (1): But there are the outcastes, and they have . . .
Yogeśvara: Do you mean the untouchables?
Swiss man (1): Untouchables.
Prabhupāda: Outcaste means those who are less than the śūdras. They are called pañcamas. These are four divisions: brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Śūdra means laborer class, but they are also obedient to the other three classes. And less than that, they have been described as caṇḍālas, pañcamas, or untouchable as you say. But for us, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no such distinction. Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The pañcamas, the fifth-class men, are called caṇḍālas. Caṇḍāla means untouchable. So they are also many: kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). So Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). There is . . . māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya. (aside) Read it.
Nitāi:
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
"O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas (merchants), as well as śūdras (workers)—can approach the supreme destination."
Prabhupāda: So in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement there is no such distinction, because we are interested with the soul. The soul is the same everywhere, and these designations are different. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is above designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). One is freed from all designation. Actually, on the spiritual level, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is above all these divisions.