A brahmana, although he is born of a high family, but because he has associated with the qualities of a candala, he should be called candala

Expressions researched:
"a brāhmaṇa, although he is born of a high family, but because he has associated with the qualities of a caṇḍāla, he should be called caṇḍāla"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Similarly, a brāhmaṇa, although he is born of a high family, but because he has associated with the qualities of a caṇḍāla, he should be called caṇḍāla. This is śāstric injunction. Śāstra never says by birth, stated like that. And that is practically being accepted. One man's qualification is concerned, not that in which family he is born.

761216 - Conversation - Hyderabad

Prabhupāda: Blessing is already there, Bhagavad-gītā—authorized. Even big, big politicians before her . . . I think Jawaharlal Nehru also commented, Discovery of India, Bhagavad-gītā. And Gandhi accepted, Tilak(?) accepted. They have written something; therefore they accepted. So why not accept it seriously? Why she is appreciating? That is my point. If you appreciate Bhagavad-gītā is authority, why not take it seriously? And so far these untouchables, Bhagavad-gītā never says untouchables. Bhagavad-gītā says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yonis are untouchable. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So why not . . . There is no question of untouchable. "Anyone who comes to Me, actually, seriously," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Parāṁ gatim, highest perfection of life, if one goes, then where is pāpa-yoni? Not only that, in the Bhagavat, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says the caṇḍālas, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā, . . . (indistinct) . . . śudhyanti, they can be cleaned by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in the śāstra there is sanction. Nārada Muni says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam (SB 7.11.35). To designate a person to which varṇa he belongs, there is symptom. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not that birth. Never says. That these symptoms, Nārada Muni says, if they are found, anyatra. Suppose the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa is found in a caṇḍāla. That caṇḍāla is no more caṇḍāla. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet. Because he has acquired the qualification of a brāhmaṇa, he should not be called any more caṇḍāla; he should be called brāhmaṇa. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa, although he is born of a high family, but because he has associated with the qualities of a caṇḍāla, he should be called caṇḍāla. This is śāstric injunction. Śāstra never says by birth, stated like that. And that is practically being accepted. One man's qualification is concerned, not that in which family he is born. There are many instances—satyakam yavala(?).