It doesn't matter whether one is a gṛhastha or one is a sannyāsī or one is a brahmin or not brahmin. It doesn't matter. Because this is not the science of this physiological ana . . . anatomical science or cobbler's science. Cobbler's science means cobbler knows what kind of skin it is. It is not like that. Neither cobbler's science nor anatomical science or physiological science. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is another science.
So anyone who is well versed in bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, he's . . . he can become guru. Not others. And in many places this is confirmed, that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro (Padma Purāṇa). A brahmin, very well expert in his business . . . brāhmin's business means ṣaṭ-karma, six kinds of karma: paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. A brahmin must be very learned scholar, brāhmin paṇḍita. He must be scholar. Scholar means not ordinary, but in transcendental science. Tad vijñānam. So paṭhana pāṭhana. And he must be expert teacher also. He should not . . .
Actually in our India, formerly, the brahmins, they usually become teachers. In any village, a brahmin has no other business. He sits down. He's called catuṣpāṭhī, the higher scholars. But for ordinary also. A brahmin . . . guru-maharṣayaḥ. We studied under guru-maharṣayaḥ in our childhood. Pāṭha śālā. So anywhere a brahmin can sit down and the village boys, small boys, children would come there. He doesn't charge anything, but their father, mother sends everything—rice, ḍāl, cloth. So he has no much demand for bodily necessities. This was paṭhana. This is brahmin. Brahmin should not accept any service.
Formerly, Sanātana Gosvāmī, because he accepted the service of Nawab Hussain Shah, he was rejected from the brahmin society. In the Bhāgavata also it is stated if a brahmin is in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a kṣatriya or a vaiśya, but never of a śūdra. Śūdra has been described there as dog. A dog, without having a master, he cannot live very nicely. Street dog is very wretched, but a dog under the care of a good master is very healthy and very happy. Similarly, a śūdra cannot live without having a master. That has been described as the dog's business.
So similarly a brāhmin will never accept any service. He'll starve, but he will never accept any service. That is against brāhmin principles. Therefore ṣaṭ-karma-nipu . . . he can accept charity if somebody gives willfully. Dana pratigraha. But pratigraha dāna . . . he'll take, pratigraha, accept charity, but whatever he requires, he'll spend, and the balance he'll immediately distribute. Dāna. In Bengal it is said, lakhtakai bamun bhikiri (a brahmin is a beggar even though he has one lakh rupees). The . . . why? A brāhmin gets one lakh of rupees; next day, he's again beggar. Why? He'll not keep anything. Whatever he requires for the day's expenditure, he will take it, and balance he will again distribute.
So ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro (Padma Purāṇa). Such strict brāhmin, very expert in his business, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ . . . and very well expert in his studies, mantra, Vedic mantra, tantra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād. If he is avaiṣṇava, then he cannot be guru. Cannot be guru. Sad-vaiṣṇava śva-paca guru. But a śva-paca, a dog-eaters' family, caṇḍāla . . . just the brāhmin is considered to be the highest in the society, similarly caṇḍāla is considered to be the lowest, dog-eaters. So the śāstra says the highest, the topmost man in the society, brāhmin, if he's avaiṣṇava, he cannot be guru, but the . . . a person coming out from the lowest grade of human society, śva-paca, caṇḍāla, if he's a Vaiṣṇava, he can become guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra.
- ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
- mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
- avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād
- sad vaiṣṇava śva-pacaḥ guru
- (Padma Purāṇa)
Therefore one . . . one who, even coming from low-grade family, if he has become Vaiṣṇava, then he's no longer in the worldly society. He's transcendental. Brahmā-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). One who is engaged in pure devotional service, he's in the Brahman platform. He should not be neglected. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, arcye śilā-dhīr, guruṣu nara-mati, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa). These are warned. One should not consider the Deity as made of stone, arcye śilā-dhīr. Śālagrāma-śilā. If somebody says: "What is this, a stone chip, or stone ball?" No. These are warned in the śāstra. Vaiṣṇave ja . . .
Similarly, to consider a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to certain caste is as abominable as to think that the Deity is made of stone. Everyone knows it is made of stone. But are we worshiping the stone? We are spending so much money for decorating stone? No. Because we have no eyes to see, we see stone. Kṛṣṇa is not stone. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can appear in any way, any form, as He likes. That is His mercy. Because we cannot see except stone, similarly, therefore He appears as stone. But He's not stone. If we think that it is stone, then we are gone to hell. You see.