Bad association destroys brahminical qualities; only fixing the mind on Krishna through chanting saves.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.21 — July 5, 1975, Chicago 750705SB-CHICAGO [22:45 Minutes] SB-06.01.21_750705SB-CHICAGO Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, First Chapter, verse number 21. [leads chanting of verse, etc.] kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ [SB 6.1.21] [break] [03:00] "In the country known as Kānyakubja there was a brāhmaṇa of the name Ajāmila.
Later on, he married a kept maidservant, a prostitute. On account of the association with the low-class woman, he lost all his brahminical qualities." Prabhupāda: This is the history. Yesterday we talked, itihāsam udāharanti, atra codāharanti imam itihāsaṁ purātanam. This Kānyakubja... kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ [SB 6.1.21] This Kānyakubja is still there.
It is now known as Kanauj, within the division of Kanpur. It is very old city, resided by brāhmaṇas especially. Still, in that city the most inhabitants are brāhmaṇas. Just like Nadia, Navadvīpa, it was formerly, even in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, inhabited by brāhmaṇas, learned scholars.
So similarly, in northern India this place, Kanauj, since very long, long time, it is a very celebrated place. Now this place is very much famous for manufacturing perfumes, rosewater, scented attars, like that. So anyway, it is history. Long, long ago there was a brāhmaṇa, dvija. Dvija means twice-born.
First birth by the father and mother... That kind of birth is obtainable by any person, man or animal. As soon as you take birth, there must be father and mother. Without father, mother, there is no question of birth.
Therefore, in the human society they do not take this birth as very important. We are very much proud of becoming American or Indian on account of birth, but according to the Vedic civilization, simply the birth by father and mother is not very important. There must be second birth, dvija. Dvi means second, and ja means birth.
So according to the Vedic civilization, a human being must be trained up to become dvija, or take his birth second time. This is human civilization. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ.