164
Šrū Caitanya-caritāmyta
[[Madhya-lilā Ch. 8]
yasya yal-lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat teṇaiva viṇirdiśet
If a person is born in a  śūdra  family but has all the qualities of a spiritual master, he should be accepted not only as a  brāhmaṇa  but as a qualified spiritual master also. This is also the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura therefore introduced the sacred thread ceremony for all Vaiṣṇavas according to the rules and regulations.
Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava who is a  bhajanānandī  does not take the  sāvitra-saṁskāra  (sacred thread initiation), but this does not mean that this system should be used for preaching work. There are two kinds of Vaiṣṇavas —  bhajanānandī  and  goṣṭhyānandī . A  bhajanānandī  is not interested in preaching work, but a  goṣṭhyānandī  is interested in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to benefit the people and increase the number of Vaiṣṇavas. A Vaiṣṇava is understood to be above the position of a  brāhmaṇa . As a preacher, he should be recognized as a  brāhmaṇa ; otherwise there may be a misunderstanding of his position as a Vaiṣṇava. However, a Vaiṣṇava  brāhmaṇa  is not selected on the basis of his birth but according to his qualities. Unfortunately, those who are unintelligent do not know the difference between a  brāhmaṇa  and a Vaiṣṇava. They are under the impression that unless one is a  brāhmaṇa  he cannot be a spiritual master. For this reason only, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu makes the statement in this verse:
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei krṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya
If one becomes a  guru , he is automatically a  brāhmaṇa . Sometimes a caste  guru  says that  ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā ,  sei guru haya  means that one who is not a  brāhmaṇa  may become a  śikṣā-guru  or a  vartma-pradarśaka-guru  but not an initiator  guru . According to such caste  gurus , birth and family ties are considered foremost. However, the hereditary consideration is not acceptable to Vaiṣṇavas. The word  guru  is equally applicable to the  vartma-pradarśaka-guru ,  śikṣā-guru  and  dīkṣā-guru . Unless we accept the principle enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot spread all over the world. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's intentions:  pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma . Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult must be preached all over the world. This does not mean that people should take to His teachings and remain  śūdras  or  caṇḍālas . As soon as one is trained as a pure Vaiṣṇava, he must be accepted as a bona fide  brāhmaṇa . This is the essence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instructions in this ve