Sudra (Lectures, BG ch 4 - 9)

Expressions researched:
"Laborer Class" |"sudra" |"sudra's" |"sudrani" |"sudranis" |"sudras"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Everyone of you can become brāhmaṇa, if you understand what is Brahman, because brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Brahman. Janmanā jāyate śūdra, by birth everyone is a śūdra, illiterate, without any knowledge. He is called śūdra, worker class. Illiterate maybe, but without any sufficient knowledge. He is called śūdra. So everyone is born śūdra. By the father and mother, when one is born, he is to be accepted as a śūdra, uncultured. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ, by education, by reformation, he is become a dvija. Dvija means twice-born. Just like the bird. Bird is called also dvija, because the bird is once born within the egg, and then fermentation of the egg, he comes out from the egg. Similarly, a person born by the father and mother is a śūdra, but when he is given education up to the understanding of knowing the Absolute Truth, he becomes dvija, twice-born.