True brahminical quality lies in distributing knowledge and devotion; varna is determined by gunas and actions, not birth.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
] Paṭhana means he must be very much serious in understanding the Vedic literatures. That is brāhmaṇa's qualification [end poor audio], ...very much studious, high-class scholar in Vedic literature, paṭhana. And pāṭhana, he must teach the Vedic knowledge. Formerly, therefore, you know, everyone, that in every village the brāhmaṇa had a catuṣpāṭhī. The brāhmaṇa had no other business.
He would sit down in his cottage, and he would teach Vedic literature. Even in Muhammadan, the, what is called, maulanas, they also teach Koran. That is brahminical quality, paṭhana-pāṭhana. Not that "I am very much learned; I will not distribute it.
I shall..." That is called jñāna-khala, envious, even he has knowledge. The spiritual knowledge must be distributed. That is the system of our Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam [SB 7.5.23]. The śravaṇam is paṭhana, to learn from the spiritual master.
That is called śravaṇam. And then kīrtanam, then distribute the knowledge. Whatever you have learned from your spiritual master, you must distribute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. So paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana. Yajana means worshiping the Lord, the Deity.
And yājana, and inducing others to engage in that worshiping. This is going on. You kindly mark in this Society, we are allowing the students..., giving them volumes of books for reading, paṭhana. Then pāṭhana, then teach others.
And they are worshiping the Lord, and they are inviting others to come here and learn how to worship Lord. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha [SB 5.17.11 puport]. They are exacting money: "Give us some money. Become our member." But what is that membership fee? That is not being utilized for their sense gratification.
For dāna, for distributing knowledge. "You give us some money as membership fee. We give you whatever we have got. We have got this book.