542
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 12]
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya recommended: One should chant of the character and activities of Dhruva Mahārāja both in the morning and in the evening, with great attention and care, in a society of brāhmaṇas or other twice-born persons.
PURPORT
It is said that only in the association of devotees can one understand the importance of the character and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotees. In this verse it is especially recommended that Dhruva Mahārāja's character should be discussed in a society of the twice-born, which refers to the qualified  brāhmaṇas ,  kṣatriyas  and  vaiśyas . One should especially seek the society of  brāhmaṇas  who are elevated to the position of  Vaiṣṇavas . Thus discussion of  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , which describes the character and pastimes of devotees and the Lord, is very quickly effective. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been organized for this purpose. In every center of this society—not only in the morning, evening or noon, but practically twenty-four hours a day—there is continuous devotional service going on. Anyone who comes in contact with the Society automatically becomes a devotee. We have actual experience that many  karmīs  and others come to the Society and find a very pleasing and peaceful atmosphere in the temples of ISKCON. In this verse the word  dvijanmanām  means “of the twice-born.” Anyone can join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and be initiated to become twice-born. As recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī, by the process of initiation and authorized training, any man can become twice-born. The first birth is made possible by the parent, and the second birth is made possible by the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Unless one is twice-born one cannot understand the transcendental characteristics of the Lord and His devotees. Study of the  Vedas  is therefore forbidden for  śūdras . Simply by academic qualifications a  śūdra  cannot understand the transcendental science. At the present moment, throughout the entire world the educational system is geared to produce  śūdras . A big technologist is no more than a big  śūdra .  Kalau śūdra-sambhava : in the age of Kali, everyone is a  śūdra . Because the whole population of the world consists only of  śūdras , there is therefore a decline of spiritual knowledge, and people are unhappy. The  Kṛṣṇa  consciousness movement has been started especially to create qualified  brāhmaṇas  to broadcast spiritual knowledge all over the world, for thus people may become very happy.