Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.2.23-24

nābhāgo diṣṭa-putro 'nyaḥ

karmaṇā vaiśyatāḿ gataḥ

bhalandanaḥ sutas tasya

vatsaprītir bhalandanāt

vatsaprīteḥ sutaḥ prāḿśus

tat-sutaḿ pramatiḿ viduḥ

khanitraḥ pramates tasmāc

cākṣuṣo 'tha viviḿśatiḥ

SYNONYMS

nābhāgaḥ — by the name Nābhāga; diṣṭa-putraḥ — the son of Diṣṭa; anyaḥ — another; karmaṇā — by occupation; vaiśyatām — the order of the vaiśyas; gataḥ — achieved; bhalandanaḥ — by the name Bhalandana; sutaḥ — son; tasya — of him (Nābhāga); vatsaprītiḥ — by the name Vatsaprīti; bhalandanāt — from Bhalandana; vatsaprīteḥ — from Vatsaprīti; sutaḥ — the son; prāḿśuḥ — was named Prāḿśu; tat-sutam — the son of him (Prāḿśu); pramatim — was named Pramati; viduḥ — you should understand; khanitraḥ — was named Khanitra; pramateḥ — from Pramati; tasmāt — from him (Khanitra); cākṣuṣaḥ — was named Cākṣuṣa; atha — thus (from Cākṣuṣa); viviḿśatiḥ — the son named Viviḿśati.

TRANSLATION

Diṣṭa had a son by the name Nābhāga. This Nābhāga, who was different from the Nābhāga described later, became a vaiśya by occupational duty. The son of Nābhāga was known as Bhalandana, the son of Bhalandana was Vatsaprīti, and his son was Prāḿśu. Prāḿśu's son was Pramati, Pramati's son was Khanitra, Khanitra's son was Cākṣuṣa, and his son was Viviḿśati.

PURPORT

From Manu, one son became a kṣatriya, another a brāhmaṇa, and another a vaiśya. This confirms the statement by Nārada Muni, yasya yal lakṣaṇaḿ proktaḿ puḿso varṇābhivyañjakam (Bhāg. 7.11.35). One should always remember that brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas should never be regarded as members of a caste by birth. A brāhmaṇa may be changed into a kṣatriya, and a kṣatriya into a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya may be changed into a vaiśya, and a vaiśya into a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]). So one is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya never by birth, but by quality. There is a great need of brāhmaṇas. Therefore, in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are trying to train some brāhmaṇas to guide human society. Because at present there is a scarcity of brāhmaṇas, the brain of human society is lost. Because practically everyone is a śūdra, no one at the present moment can guide the members of society to the proper path by which to achieve perfection in life.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness