Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the authority. Therefore I say, when Prahlāda Mahārāja says manye, "I think," it has to be taken as authoritative statement. We have to follow. If we follow the footprints of great personalities, then there is no danger. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Just like in the villages there is a track. One who follows that track, he is not lost. He . . . similarly, if we follow the track of mahājana on which great personality has traversed, then we'll not fall.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he says: "I think." So whatever he thinks, we have to accept. That is very nice. And what he thinks? He thinks, manye viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham (SB 7.9.10). He says that, "If a brahmin . . ." Brahmin is considered to be the highest qualified man in the human society. Why? Because he has got twelve qualification. We don't speak brahmin by birth.
Brahmin does not become by birth. Brahmin is a qualification. That is the injunction of Vedic literatures. The most intelligent man is called brahmin. And how his intelligence is exhibited? There are twelve qualities. If you find those twelve qualities in any person . . . it doesn't matter whether it is in India or in Czechoslovakia or anywhere. Simply you have to find out whether that man is qualified.
These qualifications are stated in Bhagavad-gītā also, satyam śaucam sama dama titikṣā ārjava:
- jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
- brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
- (BG 18.42).
If a person is a brahmin, then his natural qualification will be like this. What is that? Satyam: he is truthful. In any circumstances he will be truthful. Even to an enemy he will disclose the secret, "This is the fact." That is truthfulness, not that I am very truthful, but when my interest is jeopardized, I tell lie. That is not truthfulness. Truthfulness means at any circumstances one will speak the plain truth. That is truthfulness. Satya śama.