yasya - of whom; yat - which; laká¹£aṇam - symptom; proktam - described (above); puá¹saḥ - of a person; varṇa-abhivyañjakam - indicating the classification (brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya, vaiÅ›ya, śūdra, etc.); yat - if; anyatra - elsewhere; api - also; dṛśyeta - is seen; tat - that; tena - by that symptom; eva - certainly; vinirdiÅ›et - one should designate.
Herein it is clearly stated by NÄrada Muni that one should not be accepted as a brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya, vaiÅ›ya or śūdra according to birth, for although this is going on now, it is not accepted by the Å›Ästras. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (4.13), cÄtur-varṇyaá¹ mayÄ sṛṣá¹aá¹ guṇa-karma-vibhÄgaÅ›aḥ. Thus the four divisions of society — brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya, vaiÅ›ya and śūdra — are to be ascertained according to qualities and activities. If one was born in a brÄhmaṇa family and has acquired the brahminical qualifications, he is to be accepted as a brÄhmaṇa; otherwise, he should be considered a brahma-bandhu. Similarly, if a śūdra acquires the qualities of a brÄhmaṇa, although he was born in a śūdra family, he is not a śūdra; because he has developed the qualities of a brÄhmaṇa, he should be accepted as a brÄhmaṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to develop these brahminical qualities. Regardless of the community in which one was born, if one develops the qualities of a brÄhmaṇa he should be accepted as a brÄhmaṇa, and he then may be offered the order of sannyÄsa. Unless one is qualified in terms of the brahminical symptoms, one cannot take sannyÄsa. In designating a person a brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya, vaiÅ›ya or śūdra, birth is not the essential symptom. This understanding is very important. Herein NÄrada Muni distinctly says that one may be accepted according to the caste of his birth if he has the corresponding qualifications, but otherwise he should not. One who has attained the qualifications of a brÄhmaṇa, regardless of where he was born, should be accepted as a brÄhmaṇa. Similarly, if one has developed the qualities of a śūdra or a caṇá¸Äla, regardless of where he was born, he should be accepted in terms of those symptoms.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam, entitled “The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes.â€