This varṇāśrama-dharma means one has to accept these principles of varṇāśrama-dharma and act accordingly. A brahmin should act according to brāhmaṇa principles, satya śamo damas titikṣā (BG 18.42). The kṣatriya should act accordingly. The vaiśya should act according. The same example, as we have given many times, that I have got my head department, arms department, belly department and leg department. To keep the body fit, everyone should act very nicely. Brain should work nicely, arm must be strong, belly must be fit to digest foodstuff, and leg must work. Similarly, these things . . . the varṇāśrama-dharma is necessary. It is not a convention. It is not a convention that, "The Hindus or the Indians, they are our only brahmins." No. Here are also brahmins. Because it is creation of God. God's creation must be there.
So now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is picking up who are the brahmins. They mixed up. They are mixed up. So long there was no picking up of the brahmins. Now, by this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are picking up the brahmins. Because there is need of brahmins at this time, because brain is not there. The brain . . . brahmin means the brain. They must have knowledge. That is brahmin. In India, the brahmins are called paṇḍita, although nowadays he is fool number one. So that . . . but it is a title of the brahmin to become paṇḍita. Paṇḍita. He must know everything. Satyaṁ śamaḥ . . . jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). He must be very wise man. Jñānaṁ vijñānam, and practical application, vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. And not nāstika, not atheist. Jñānaṁ vijñānam means one must know what is God. That is jñāna. And brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa means one who has already known God, or brahma-vastu. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). That is brāhmaṇa.
Therefore people should go to brāhmaṇa. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, one cannot become guru. Because if he does not know Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, what kind of brāhmaṇa he is, and what kind of guru he is? So therefore one must know the ultimate truth, Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti. Not silent, simply by understanding Brahman or Paramātmā, but he must know what is Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the Vedas. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
So a brāhmaṇa, even with good qualification, but if he does not know Kṛṣṇa then he cannot become guru. That is the injunction. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ (Padma Purāṇa). Vipra means brāhmaṇa; nipuṇa means very expert. One . . . now, ṣaṭ-karma. Brāhmaṇa's business is six: paṭhana, pāṭhana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha. A brāhmaṇa must be learned, and he must make others learned. That, "I am learned man. I don't care for others . . ." no.
He must teach others to become brāhmaṇa. Paṭhana pāṭhana. Yajana yājana: he must worship God, and he must teach others also how to worship God. Yajana yājana. Dāna pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa's business is not to do any trade or professional . . . he takes charity, pratigraha. But dāna. Therefore in India it is said if a brāhmaṇa gets one lakh of rupees, still he is a beggar. Why? Because he does not keep it. If he gets one lakh of rupees now, next moment he will spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Dāna pratigraha.
So even though one is expert—paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha—avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ (Padma Purāṇa): he is expert in reciting all the mantras, Vedic mantras, he knows everything—but he is not a Vaiṣṇava. You'll find nowadays impersonalists, voidists, so many brāhmaṇas, they have no idea what is the . . . what is God, who is God. That is called avaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava knows what is Viṣṇu, what is God. But avaiṣṇava, non-Vaiṣṇava, they do not know. So this is the formula, that even one brāhmaṇa is expert in all knowledge, but he does not know who is God, gurur na sa syāt, he cannot become guru. This is the stricture.