98 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 8

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te ‘pi yanti pararh gatim
“O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—
women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as sddras [workers]—can approach the
supreme destination.”

The word papa-yonayah means “born of lower caste women.” The vaisyas are
merchants, and the stidras or workers are servants. According to Vedic classifica-
tions, they belong to a lower social order. A low life means a life without Krsna
consciousness. High and low positions in society were calculated by considering a
person’s Krsna consciousness. A braéhmana is considered to be on the highest plat-
form because he knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth. The second caste, the
ksatriya caste, also know Brahman, but not as well as the brahmanas. The vaisyas
and stdras do not clearly understand God consciousness, but if they take to Krsna
consciousness by the mercy of Krsna and the spiritual master, they do not remain
in the lower castes (papa-yonayah). It is clearly stated: te ‘pi yanti param gatim.

Unless one has attained the highest standard of life, one cannot return home,
back to Godhead. One may be a stidra, vaisya or woman, but if he is situated in
the service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness, he should not be considered sti,
sidra, vaisya or one lower than a sddra. A person engaged in the Lord's service—
though from a lowborn family—should never be considered to belong to a
lowborn family. The Padma Purana forbids: viksate jati-samanydat/ sa yati narakarn
dhruvam. A person goes to hell quickly when he considers a devotee of the Lord
in terms of birth. Although Sri Ramananda Raya supposedly took birth in a sdidra
family, he is not to be considered a stidra, for he was a great advanced devotee.
Indeed, he was on the transcendental platform. $ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
therefore embraced him. Out of spiritual humility, $ri Rimananda Raya presented
himself as a stidra (raja-sevi visayi sdradhama). Even though one may engage in
government service or in any other pound-shilling-pence business—in short, in
materialistic life—he need only take to Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness
is a very simple process. One need only chant the holy names of the Lord and
strictly follow the principles forbidding sinful activity. In this way one can no
longer be considered an untouchable, a visayi or a sidra. One who is advanced in
spiritual life should not associate with nondevotees—namely men in government
service and men engaged in materialistic activity for sense gratification or in the
service of others. Such men are considered visayi, materialistic. It is said:

niskificanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya
sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca
ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato ‘py asadhu
