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Divinity and Divine Service
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instruct him in the  Vedas . The spiritual master accepts only the sincere inquirer as his disciple and gives him the sacred thread. In this way a man becomes twice-born, or a  dvija . After qualifying as a  dvija  one may study the  Vedas , and after becoming well versed in the  Vedas  one becomes a  vipra . A  vipra  or a qualified  brāhmaṇa  thus realizes the Absolute and makes further progress in spiritual life until he reaches the Vaiṣṇava stage. The Vaiṣṇava stage is the postgraduate status of a  brāhmaṇa . A progressive  brāhmaṇa  must necessarily become a Vaiṣṇava, for a Vaiṣṇava is a self-realized, learned  brāhmaṇa .
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a Vaiṣṇava from the beginning; therefore, there was no need for him to undergo all the processes of the  varṇāśrama  institution. Ultimately the aim of  varṇāśrama-dharma  is to turn a crude man into a pure devotee of the Lord, or a Vaiṣṇava. Anyone, therefore, who becomes a Vaiṣṇava accepted by the first-class Vaiṣṇava or  uttama-adhikārī  Vaiṣṇava is already considered a  brāhmaṇa , regardless of his birth or past deeds. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted this principle and recognized Śrīla Haridāsa Thākur as the  ācārya  of the holy name, although Thākur Haridāsa appeared in a Mohammedan family. In conclusion, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was born a Vaiṣṇava, and, therefore, brahminism was included in him. He did not have to undergo any ceremonies. Any low born person—be he a  Kirāta ,  Hūṇa ,  Āndhra ,  Pulinda ,  Pulkhasa ,  Ābhīra ,  Śumbha ,  Yavana ,  Khasādi  or even lower—can be delivered to the highest transcendental position by the mercy of Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was the spiritual master of Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī, and therefore he offers his respectful obeisances unto him before he begins his answers to the questions of the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya.
TEXT 3
यः स्वानुभावमखिलश्रुतिसारमेक- मध्यात्मदीपमतितितीर्षतां तमोऽन्धम् । संसारिणां करुणयाऽऽह पुराणगुह्यं तं व्याससूनुमुपयामि गुरुं मुनीनाम् ॥ ३ ॥
yaḥ svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram ekam adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatām tamo'ndham saṁsāriṇām karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām