Prabhupāda: So what this is . . . what's this? Don't you see? There are many Christians, many . . .
Scholar: Do they have to be Hindus first?
Prabhupāda: Well, why you are stressing to become Hindu and Christian? It is that education for understanding the values of life.
Scholar: Yes.
Prabhupāda: It is not the question of Hindu, Muslim. Any intelligent man will take it. Suppose if you want to be a great mathematician, does it mean that you must be a Hindu or Christian or Muhammadan?
Scholar: But by using threads, attributes of Hindu religion for this or sign of . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: No, attributes . . . Hindu, the word is not to be found in our Vedic scripture. It is the name given by the Muhammadans. So that is going on. Actually it is called varṇāśrama-dharma: four varṇas, four āśramas. The four varṇas, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and four āśramas—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Combined together it is called varṇāśrama. So unless the . . . a human being follows this varṇāśrama principle he's not a human being; he's animal. Because animal has no varṇa, no āśrama.
The human society must be divided. Then, just like in this body there are four division—the head division, the arms division, the belly division and the leg division—all these are required for complete body. Although, by comparative study, head is the most important department, but still the leg is not that we don't require leg. Leg is also required. Similarly, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they're required to function the society perfectly. That is varṇa. And similarly, for spiritual emancipation there must be the division: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So unless you accept this institution perfectly, you cannot develop your consciousness as perfect human being.