246
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 6]
kibāvipra-kiba-nyāsī śūdra kene naya yei kṛṣṇa tattvavitta sei guru haya.
A person may be a  brāhmaṇa  or a  śūdra  or a  sannyāsī , but if he happens to be well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa, then he is fit to become a spiritual master. The qualification, then, of a spiritual master is not to be a qualified  brāhmaṇa , but to be well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa.
One who is conversant with Vedic wisdom is a  brāhmaṇa . And only a  brāhmaṇa  who is a pure Vaiṣṇava and knows all the intricacies of the science of Kṛṣṇa can become a spiritual master.
TEXT 31
बाहुभ्योऽवर्तत क्षत्रं क्षत्रियस्तदनुव्रतः । यो जातस्रायते वर्णान् पौरुषः कण्टकक्षतात् ॥३१॥
bāhubhyo 'vartata kṣatram kṣatriyas tad anuvrataḥ yo jātas trāyate varṇān pauruṣaḥ kaṇṭaka-kṣatāt
bāhubhyaḥ—from the arms; avartata—generated; kṣatram—the power of protection; kṣatriyaḥ—in relation to the power of protection; tat—that; anuvrataḥ—followers; yaḥ—one who; jātaḥ—so becomes; trāyate—delivers; varṇān—the other occupations; pauruṣaḥ—representative of the Personality of Godhead; kaṇṭaka—disturbing elements like thieves and debauchees; kṣatāt—mischief.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter the power of protection was generated from the arms of the gigantic virāṭa form, and in relation to such power the kṣatriyas also came into existence by following the kṣatriya principle of protecting society from the disturbance of thieves and miscreants.
PURPORT
As the  brāhmaṇas  are recognized by their particular qualification of inclination towards the transcendental knowledge of Vedic wisdom, so also the  kṣatriyas  are recognized by the power to protect society from the disturbing elements of thieves and miscreants. The word  anuvrataḥ  is significant. A person who follows the  kṣatriya  principles by protecting society from thieves and miscreants is called a  kṣatriya , not the one who is