Srila Gurudeva: Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura also preached about who was really a brahmana. Who is a brahmana? Only those who have the quality of brahmana. Brahmanism will not be decided by birth only. There should be some impression, some past impression. It should be there in their nature, in their association and qualities. Only if brahmana qualities are there can they really be considered a brahmana. What are the qualities of brahmanas?
samo damas tapah saucam
ksantir arjavam eva ca
jnanam vijnanam astikyam
brahma-karma svabhava-jam
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita 18.42 [Control of the mind and senses, penance, purity, tolerance, simplicity, knowledge of the self and of bhajana, and firm faith in and realization of sastra are the characteristic qualities and duties (karma) of the brahmanas born of their own nature.]
Sauca, dama, there are so many. These qualities should be in brahmanas, especially if they want to serve Krsna. If these qualities are not there, even if he is born in a brahmana dynasty, he is not brahmana. But if anyone has taken birth in any other varna and they are having these qualities of a brahmana, then they are a brahmana. That is why the brahmanas were so angry with Prabhupada. He also preached that nowadays, Gosvamis, those who are born in the dynasty of Gosvamis, they are not actually Gosvami. The sons of Gosvamis wanted that anyone should have so much honor for them. But Prabhupada said that this is not authentic. Only those who have the quality of Gosvami can be called Gosvami. Go means indriya. So only he who can conquer all the senses can actually be considered Gosvami. Like what? Like the first sloka of Upadesamrta, those who have conquered all these things and they are serving Krsna and Radha and Mahaprabhu with all their senses, they are actually Gosvami, whether they are born in the dynasty of Gosvami or not.up If a person is born in the dynasty of Gosvami but yet they drinking wine and taking flesh, eggs, and so many things and they are not having the qualities of Gosvami, then actually he is not a Gosvami. Because of this, the Gosvamis became opposite to Srila Prabhupada. So many became so much opposite to Prabhupada. But yet his preaching was going on. All the new boys with impressions, they came to him as brahmacaris and they began to propagate the mission of Srila Prabhupada everywhere, cutting the arguments of mayavada, sahajiya, sakhi-beki, and all others, and establishing the siddhanta of bhakti. New, new boys were coming and new, new girls were also coming. Women were coming and joining his mission. He then gave sannyasa to those qualified persons who never, never, never fell down, like my Guru Maharaja, Sridhara Maharaja, Madhava Maharaja, and Svami Maharaja. Although Svami Maharaja was actually not a direct sannyasa sisya of Srila Prabhupada. He was the sannyasa sisya of my Gurudeva. He made parties, gave diksa, and sent preaching parties everywhere, here and there. [Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on December 7th, 1998, Malaysia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 25]