Bhagavad-gītā says equal opportunity for everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Low-class born birth is understood due to sinful activities—low-class birth, animal birth. Sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa says pāpa-yonayaḥ, born in sinful families, never mind. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā . . . if he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by bona fide process, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā . . . vyapāśrityā means bona fide process. Not an imitation, bona fide. And bona fide means as they are depicted, as they are described, as they are enjoined in the authorized śāstra like śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañca . . . (Brs. 1.2.101). Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind in whatever family one is born, sinful family. Never mind. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyaḥ, including woman and śūdras and vaiśyas, they are considered as less intelligent. They are considered as less intelligent.
Therefore, according to Vedic system, a boy born in a Brahmin family, he is allowed all the saṁskāras, reformatory, purificatory process, but the girl is not. Why? Now, because a girl has to follow her husband. So if her husband is Brahmin, automatically she becomes Brahmin. There is no need of separate reformation. And by chance she may be married with a person who is not a Brahmin, then what is the use of making her a Brahmin? That is the general method.
So therefore the . . . even born in a Brahmin family, a woman is taken as woman, not as Brahmin. But Kṛṣṇa says: "Never mind. Even if she is woman, even she is śūdra, even she is vaiśya, or any other," I mean to say: "family born in, never mind." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā, if anyone is bona-fidely made Kṛṣṇa conscious, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, so his way is open to the path of Vaikuṇṭha, parāṁ gatim. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, it opens the door of highest perfectional platform for everyone, provided he follows the rules and regulation. That's all. That is the only condition. Otherwise, if simply by imitating, if somebody thinks, "Oh, I can become a . . ." like that, "If such and such person can become, I can do . . ." No. That is warned by Rūpa Gosvāmī:
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
- pāñcarātrikī-vidhīṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpatayaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
If we simply imitate, oh, that will not do. So do not try to imitate. Follow the simple rules and regulations—it is very nice—and above all, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll become purified.