भलन्दनः सुतस्तस्य वत्सप्रीतिर्भलन्दनात् ॥२३॥
वत्सप्रीतेः सुतः प्रांशुस्तत्सुतं प्रमतिं विदुः ।
खनित्रः प्रमतेस्तस्माच्चाक्षुषोऽथ विविंशतिः ॥३४॥
nÄbhÄgo diá¹£á¹a-putro 'nyaḥ
karmaá¹‡Ä vaiÅ›yatÄá¹ gataḥ
bhalandanaḥ sutas tasya
vatsaprÄ«tir bhalandanÄt
vatsaprÄ«teḥ sutaḥ prÄmÅ›us
tat-sutaṠpramatiṠviduḥ
khanitraḥ pramates tasmÄc
cÄká¹£uá¹£o 'tha vivimÅ›atiḥ
nÄbhÄgaḥ - by the name NÄbhÄga; diá¹£á¹a-putraḥ - the son of Diá¹£á¹a; anyaḥ - another; karmaá¹‡Ä - by occupation; vaiÅ›yatÄm - the order of the vaiÅ›yas; gataḥ - achieved; bhalandanaḥ - by the name Bhalandana; sutaḥ - son; tasya - of him (NÄbhÄga); vatsaprÄ«tiḥ - by the name VatsaprÄ«ti; bhalandanÄt - from Bhalandana; vatsaprÄ«teḥ - from VatsaprÄ«ti; sutaḥ - the son; prÄmÅ›uḥ - was named PrÄmÅ›u; tat-sutam - the son of him (PrÄmÅ›u); pramatim - was named Pramati; viduḥ - you should understand; khanitraḥ - was named Khanitra; pramateḥ - from Pramati; tasmÄt - from him (Khanitra); cÄká¹£uá¹£aḥ - was named CÄká¹£uá¹£a; atha - thus (from CÄká¹£uá¹£a); vivimÅ›atiḥ - the son named VivimÅ›ati.
Diá¹£á¹a had a son by the name NÄbhÄga. This NÄbhÄga, who was different from the NÄbhÄga described later, became a vaiÅ›ya by occupational duty. The son of NÄbhÄga was known as Bhalandana, the son of Bhalandana was VatsaprÄ«ti, and his son was PrÄá¹Å›u. PrÄá¹Å›u’s son was Pramati, Pramati’s son was Khanitra, Khanitra’s son was CÄká¹£uá¹£a, and his son was Viviá¹Å›ati.
From Manu, one son became a ká¹£atriya, another a brÄhmaṇa, and another a vaiÅ›ya. This confirms the statement by NÄrada Muni, yasya yal laká¹£aṇaá¹ proktaá¹ puá¹so varṇÄbhivyañjakam (BhÄg. 7.11.35). One should always remember that brÄhmaṇas, ká¹£atriyas and vaiÅ›yas should never be regarded as members of a caste by birth. A brÄhmaṇa may be changed into a ká¹£atriya, and a ká¹£atriya into a brÄhmaṇa. Similarly, a brÄhmaṇa or ká¹£atriya may be changed into a vaiÅ›ya, and a vaiÅ›ya into a brÄhmaṇa or ká¹£atriya. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (cÄtur-varṇyaá¹ mayÄ sṛṣá¹aá¹ guṇa-karma-vibhÄgaÅ›aḥ). So one is a brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya or vaiÅ›ya never by birth, but by quality. There is a great need of brÄhmaṇas. Therefore, in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are trying to train some brÄhmaṇas to guide human society. Because at present there is a scarcity of brÄhmaṇas, 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.
