Twice-born means

Expressions researched:
"Twice-born means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Twice-born means you come to the point of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: I've often been told that when you become dvija then we would not incur any more karmic reactions by our actions, but also...

Prabhupāda: When you become dvija, twice-born. Twice-born means you come to the point of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you take your birth from your parents, your consciousness is different. Just like the child. His consciousness is different, but when he's grown-up, if he takes to knowledge, if he tries to understand Kṛṣṇa, his consciousness is different. So when one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the beginning of his second birth, dvija.

Jaya-gopāla: Well, I've been told then that we can have no more karmic reactions from our actions.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no more reaction of your karma.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Twice-born means cultural society. Those who have Vedic cultured, those who have followed the Vedic principles rigidly, it doesn't matter whether he is a householder or a brahmacārī or a sannyāsī.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

So this Mahābhārata is also history, and as history is liked by common man, so Mahābhārata was written by Vyāsadeva for understanding of the most common men. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). The Vyāsadeva has given explanation why he compiled Mahābhārata, the great history of this Bhārata. Now it is called India, but the planet was called Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa. So he has given explanation that "The Vedic principle, Vedic instructions, they are not directly understandable by commen men and women." Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ. Who are common men? Women class, as a class, and śūdra, laborer class, working class, and Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ. And dvija means twice-born, the higher caste. The higher caste means they must be twice-born. How is that? One birth is father and mother, real father and mother, and the next birth is spiritual master and the Vedas. That means when one is trained up in the matter of real knowledge—Veda means real knowledge—by the guidance of the spiritual master, he is supposed to be twice-born. So dvija-bandhu. Twice-born means cultural society. Those who have Vedic cultured, those who have followed the Vedic principles rigidly, it doesn't matter whether he is a householder or a brahmacārī or a sannyāsī. There are eight divisions of human society: four divisions social structure, and four divisions for spiritual enlightenment. So unless the eight divisions are properly managed, that is not human society. Human society is distinct from animal society by culture. What is that culture? Vedic culture, knowledge. Vedic means knowledge. One must be equipped with full knowledge. "So this Vedic culture," Vyāsadeva says, "or the Vedic principles, are not very easily understood by women class, by worker class, and dvija-bandhu." Dvija-bandhu means the boys who have taken birth in the family who are supposed to be very cultured, but their habit is different. They are called dvija-bandhu. In every country, that deterioration of social structure has already begun. They are called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara factually means that those who are illiterate. So for them it is very difficult to understand the Vedic principles. Therefore the same knowledge is described in stories just like Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, and for understanding of all men, all women. So Mahābhārata is especially written for such class of men and women. And the hero of Mahābhārata is Arjuna. Similarly, the hero of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Arjuna's grandson, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, King Parīkṣit.

Initiation Lectures

Twice-born means brāhmaṇa especially—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, three classes of twice-born.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

So a Vaiṣṇava is already brāhmaṇa, but still, it is a function that one should not deride at Vaiṣṇava, that he is not brāhmaṇa. Therefore Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, written by Sanātana Gosvāmī... That is called Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, how to conduct Vaiṣṇava life. There it is clearly stated by Sanātana Gosvāmī that tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām: "By the process of initiation, a man can attain the position of the twice-born." Twice-born means brāhmaṇa especially—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, three classes of twice-born. Several times I have explained: first born by father and mother, and second born, birth, is this. So you should have responsibility, you should follow. But you can be steady and you will be able to follow all these principles provided you chant regularly Hare Kṛṣṇa. That sixteen rounds you must complete. Then māyā will not be able to deviate you. That is... You must keep this. This kīrtana process, as we are performing morning, evening, this will keep your life steady, fixed up, firm. You will always be situated in brāhmaṇa's position if you strictly follow this. Otherwise māyā will immediately: "My dear boy, please come here. Why you are taking so much botheration?" You see? Just like one boy wanted to be initiated from Montreal. His father and mother have sent me telegram. You have seen? "Oh, please save my boy. He is going to be brāhmaṇa. Oh, it will spoil my family." That means if he becomes brāhmaṇa, he may be reluctant to be karmī. This is going on. If one becomes debauch, the father-mother is not so disturbed. But if he becomes brāhmaṇa, "Oh, it is horrible. It is horrible. It is horrible." (laughter) Just see the social condition. If a young man becomes debauch, "Ah, young man. Let him do. What is there? When he will grow, he will be taken... All right." But if a young man goes to a spiritual master to become brāhmaṇa, "Oh," the father-mother is... "Oh,, it is horrible. My son is being killed." You see? Just see. I have got practical telegram from India. Just see the position of India. Just now today I have received one telegram, Hanla (?). "Oh, it is horrible condition." And Bhāgavata says that "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, if he cannot prepare his child, a brāhmaṇa, a Vaiṣṇava, so that will protect him from the cycle of repeated birth and death." "No, we don't want this thing. We want our boy a karmī, a demon. Let him earn and send the money. I eat very nicely." This is going on.

General Lectures

Topmost of the twice-born means brāhmaṇa.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

So although they were learned brāhmaṇas, or dvija... Dvija means not only brāhmaṇas, but the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas. Kṣatriya means ruling class, administrative class, politicians. They are called kṣatriyas. And brāhmaṇas means learned scholar in philosophy, in science, in theology, they are brāhmaṇas. And kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas... Vaiśyas means traders, mercantile people. And śūdras means worker, laborer. So the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they are called dvija. Dvija means twice-born. The śūdras, those who are once born simply by the father and mother, they are called śūdras. They are not counted amongst the higher class. But those who are twice-born. That means once born by the father and mother, and the second birth is the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Once born by this material bodily father and mother, and the second birth is Vedic knowledge, the mother, and the spiritual master, the father. So that is second birth. So second birth, those who accept the second birth, they are called dvija, twice-born. So he is addressing dvija. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā: the topmost of the twice-born. Topmost of the twice-born means brāhmaṇa also, or these three classes. Take it for granted that the brāhmaṇas. But the next line is, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are four kinds of classification: the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras, and... This is called varṇa. And āśrama, āśrama means spiritual situation: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha, and the sannyāsī. They are spiritually situated. So anyone, either a brahmacārī or a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or anyone, he will fall down in either of these eight divisions of human social order. So Sūta Gosvāmī said that anyone, that means anyone, must have some occupation. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. If you are engineer, then you have got some occupation. If you are medical man, you have got some occupation. If you are a philosopher, you have got some occupation. If you are laborer, worker, you have got some occupation. Even if you are a thief, you have got some occupation. So everyone has got occupation. So just see how nice it is. So Bhāgavata says, it doesn't matter what is your occupation, but simply try to see whether by your activities or a particular type of occupation you have satisfied the Supreme Lord. That's all.