268 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 16

Parasurdma we can understand that although Parasurama belonged to
the brahminical group, he circumstantially had to work as a ksatriya.
Later, after finishing his work as a ksatriya, he again became a
braéhmana and returned to Mahendra-parvata. Similarly, we can see that
although Visvamitra was born in a ksatriya family, by austerities and
penances he achieved the position of a brahmana. These histories con-
firm the statements in sdstra that a brahmana may become a ksatriya, a
ksatriya may become a brahmana or vaisya, and a vaisya may become a
brahmana, by achieving the required qualities. One’s status does not
depend upon birth. As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.11.35) by
Narada:

yasya yal laksanam proktam
pumso varnabhivyanjakam
yad anyatrapi drsyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiset

“If one shows the symptoms of being a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or
Sidra, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted
according to those symptoms of classification.” To know who is a
brahmana and who is a ksatriya, one must consider a man’s quality and
work. If all the unqualified sidras become so-called brahmanas and
ksatriyas, social order will be impossible to maintain. Thus there will be
discrepancies, human society will turn into a society of animals, and the
situation all over the world will be hellish.

TEXT 29

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AAA WES) WSs TF F UNREAL

visamitrasya caivasan
putra eka-satam nrpa
madhyamas tu madhucchanda

madhucchandasa eva te

visvdmitrasya—of Visvamitra; ca—also; eva—indeed; dsan—there
were; putrah—sons; eka-satam—101; nrpa—O King Pariksit;
