True qualification lies in pure devotion and spiritual understanding, not in birth, gender, or social status.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.20 — April 12, 1973, New York 730412SB-NEW YORK [19:37 Minutes] SB-01.08.20_730412SB-NEW YORK Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ [SB 1.8.20] Prabhupāda: Next, anyone? [more devotees chant] [break] [01:44] Pradyumna: Translation: "You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and material speculators who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How then can we women know You perfectly?" Prabhupāda: So Kuntīdevī, she is submissively...
This is the symptom of Vaiṣṇava. The Lord, Kṛṣṇa, has come to Kuntīdevī to take the dust of her feet. Because Kṛṣṇa considers Kuntīdevī as her [His] aunt, to show her respect, Kṛṣṇa used to touch the feet of Kuntīdevī. But Kuntīdevī, although she is in such exalted position, practically on the level of Yaśodāmāyi, such a great devotee, so she is so submissive that "Kṛṣṇa, You are meant for the paramahaṁsas, and what we can see You?
We are women." So as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ [Bg. 9.32]. In another place in the Bhāgavata it is said, strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām. Śūdra, strī and dvijabandhu. Dvijabandhu means those who are born in brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family, high caste. According to Vedic system, there are four divisions: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma [Bg. 4.13].
According to quality and work, the first-class man is the brāhmaṇa, intelligent; the next, kṣatriya; the next, vaiśyas; and next, śūdra. So according to this classification, women, śūdra and dvijabandhu, dvijabandhu, they are taken in the same category. Dvijabandhu means born in brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family, but has no qualification. The thing is to be considered by qualification. It is very practical.
Suppose one man is born the son of a high-court judge. So it does not mean that because he's a son of a high-court judge, he is also high-court judge. This is going on. Because one happens to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, without any qualification he claims to become a brāhmaṇa.
That is the falldown of Vedic civilization in India. A rascal number one, he's claiming that he's brāhmaṇa—without any qualification. His qualification is less than a śūdra; still he's claiming. And that is being accepted. So it is clearly stated: guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13].
Without qualification... The brāhmaṇa means the qualification. It is not this body. There are so many arguments, but they won't hear.