The word ‘Brahmaṇya’ means something related to Brāhmaṇa. One who is the only relationship or one who is the viṣaya-vastu (desired object) of a Brāhmaṇa is Brahmaṇya-deva. In Viṣṇu-sahasranāma stotra of Śānti-parva [Mahābhārata] we can see —
brahmaṇyo brahma-kṛd brahmā brahma brahma-vivarddhanaḥ ।
brahma-vid brāhmaṇo brahmī brahma-jño brāhmaṇa-priyaḥ ॥
Only a person who is brahma-vid or one who knows Brahman is Brāhmaṇa. The person who is dear to Brāhmaṇas is Brahmaṇya-deva. It means, those who engage in bhajana or are absorbed in service, they only are devotees and one who is dear to the devotees is the Supreme Lord.
Śrī-āhnika-candrikā says —
brahmaṇyo devakī-putro brahmaṇyo madhu-sūdanaḥ ।
brahmaṇyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣo brahmaṇyo viṣnur-acyutaḥ ॥
The son of the Devakī, who is the killer of the demon Madhu, who has the eyes like the petals of a fully bloomed lotus, who is infallible, that Viṣṇu is only Brahmaṇya-deva.
Ṛgveda tells that the divine Sūris (ancient name of the Vaiṣṇavas) are always seeing the feet of the Lord Viṣṇu.
oṁ tat viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ ।divīva cakṣurātataṁ oṁ tat viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ ॥
At the core of this ṛk mantra is established the oneness of the seen i.e. the viśaya (object of meditation) or the possessor of all potencies; the plurality of the seer i.e. the āśraya (the shelter) or the potencies; and the eternal nature of the act of seeing or meditating.
Brahmaṇya-deva can never be worshiped by the a-brāhmaṇa (one who is not categorically Brāhmaṇa). Scriptures say — “nādevo devam arcayet”; if the worshiper and worshiped are not sama-jātīya (objects in the same category) then the worship doesn’t attain perfection. In order to worship, the worshiper has to appear in front of the worshiped and via the ritual of bhūta-śuddhi (the act of purifying the material elements) one has to meditate on one’s svarūpa (original spiritual form) in order to engage in the act of worship.
If the worshipable object is on the second floor (higher platform) and the worshiper is on the lower floor (platform) then the complete service cannot be performed. If the worshipable object is transcendental and non-material but the worshiper is in the category of ghost (dead entity), then the worshiper will see the worshipable in the form of ghost. In this way his worship is of ghosts only and not of the transcendental object. It is natural that there is a quantitative difference between the worshipable and worshiper, but there is no categorical difference. There is no meaning to the worship if there is no quantitative difference among the worshipable and worshiper. Furthermore, if they both are not in the same category then it is impossible to acquire the qualification to worship. Therefore the conclusion of the Vedas is this only — the worshiper and the worshipable, both are in the same category i.e. they both are transcendental and non-material. The worshipable is the vibhū (great) and the viśaya of the worshiper; the worshiper is aṇu (infinitesimal) and therefore dependent or under the control; the act of worship is eternal and the worshipable, the worshiper and the act of worship are unified in the advaya-jñāna (knowledge of the non-dual object).
Śūdra means one who is suffering from the sorrows, his viśaya is Māyā or the predominating deity of the matter. Brāhmaṇa means one who is inclined towards brahma-jijñāsā (enquiry about Absolute Truth) and is inclined towards service, his viśaya is Brahmaṇya-deva or the controller of the Māyā i.e. Bhagavān.
Every living entity is indeed Brāhmaṇa. “Sarve brahma-jā brāhmaṇaś ca”, everyone has taken birth from Brahman, every living entity has the qualification in the service of Brahmaṇya-deva, therefore they are Brāhmaṇa. Furthermore, everyone has originated from Brahmaṇya-deva therefore they are Brāhmaṇa. Yajñavalkya-saṁhitā says — janmanā brāhmaṇojñeyaḥ । nṛmātrasyādhikāritā । — the reason being that everyone is the servant of the Supreme Lord in their svarūpa (original spiritual form) and in their svarūpa as a soul everyone is Brāhmaṇa i.e. the eternal worshiper of the Brahmaṇya-deva. When one forgets the eternal spiritual form, then the living entity starts engaging in things other than its constitutional position, and thus suffers from various sorrows, then only it is known as Śūdra. However, just like a living entity’s consciousness doesn’t gets destroyed during the time of sleeping, similarly even when a living entity is covered by the sorrows and is thus fit to be called Śūdra, its eternal Brahmaṇya-dharma (functions related to being servant of the Brahmaṇya-deva) doesn’t gets destroyed. When the living entity appears in front of the brahma-vid ācārya in order to enquire about the Absolute Truth, and again having the inclination towards the service of the Brahmaṇya-deva, then they are known as ‘Brāhmaṇa’.
Śrī-Viṣṇu-Purāṇa 1.19.48 teaches us how to offer obeisances to the Brahmaṇya-deva.
namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca ।
jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ ॥
In this verse, in the beginning the usage of the word ‘namas’ is seen and again at the end the word ‘namas’ is mentioned. The compilers of the scriptures have explained that the letter ‘na’ is for prohibition and ‘ma’ indicates false-ego. It means that via the word ‘namaḥ’ the living entity renounces all false-ego and surrenders to the Supreme Lord. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has mentioned the topic of four kinds of false-ego of a conditioned soul. By suffering from these false-egos the living entity becomes incapable of attaining the mercy of the Brahmaṇya-deva.
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān ।
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram ॥
The first false-ego of a conditioned soul is indeed the pride of birth. When the living entity accepts itself as the body made out of blood and flesh due to forgetting its eternal form and engaging in things other than its eternal function, then its pride of birth appears. By being boasted by such pride a living entity calls others by using the word ‘Śūdra’ from Vedas and ‘Gokhara’ from Bhāgavatam. The second false-ego is that of opulence. When this sambandha-jñāna (knowledge of the relationship with the Supreme Lord) i.e. ‘Supreme Lord is the one and only enjoyer, and all the living entities are objects of His enjoyment’, gets covered then indeed the false-ego related to opulence comes into being. Third false-ego is the pride of scholarship. Fourth is the pride of beauty. These four types of false-egos are the functions of Śūdra or one who laments. The function of a Brāhmaṇa is — exclusive eternal service of the Brahmaṇya-deva, or Bhakti which is the function of the self. For example, the Kalki-Purāṇa says —
yo dharmo brahmāṇānāṁ hi sā bhaktirmama puṅkalā ।
Therefore, Brāhamaṇas are surrendered to Brahmaṇya-deva by completely renouncing these four kinds of false-ego.
Brahmaṇya-deva is supremely merciful, the deity of magnanimity, and the well-wisher of the object which brings eternal auspiciousness for all. He is the protector of the sādhus, and destroyer of the miscreants. The punishment to the miscreants is also His indirect mercy. In this way He engages in the welfare of the world. He only is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme controller and the cause of all causes. He is the nourisher of all the senses, the Hṛṣīkeśa or Govinda. He only is worthy of being paid obeisances to again and again.
Śrī Gaura-sundara, who is non-different from the moonlike Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to teach the general masses has chanted this verse in front of the chariot of Lord Jagannātha and has offered obeisances to Lord Jagannātha in order to teach about surrender to all the living entities. After that, he has uttered this verse which tells the svarūpa of the living entity and its relationship with the Supreme Lord —
nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdronāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā ।
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdhergopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ ॥
which means, I am not a saguṇa (one who is in touch with the modes of material nature) Brāhmaṇa possessing qualities like sense control etc; I am not a Kṣatriya or King who takes care of the population; I am not even a Vaiśya who has tendencies for cow protection, trade, agriculture etc; and I am not even a Śūdra who serves the other three varṇas (Vedic social divisions based on qualification). Furthermore, I am not even a Brahmacārī (celibate student), Gṛhastha (householder), Vanacārī (retired) or Sannyāsī (renunciate). I am only the servant of the servants of the one and only Supreme Controller Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the lover of the Gopīs.
Devotees who are servants of the Supreme Lord are pure living entities. They do not come under the material varṇas or āśramas (stage of life such as celibate, householder, etc). Those whose self is enlightened, who are inclined towards service or who engage in service, they are nirguṇa (one who is beyond the three modes of nature) Brāhmaṇa. In other words, they are at the platform of a devotee where one is completely surrendered to the nirguṇa Brahmaṇya-deva. Those who see the absence of qualification of being a Brāhmaṇa in a devotee, they are like those who try to see the absence of thousands within the million. They are envious atheists.
tameva dhīro vijñāya prajñāṁ kurvīta brāhmaṇaḥ ।
The Brāhmaṇas will perform prajñā or prema-bhakti after attaining the knowledge of relationship between the acit (matter), cit (spiritual) and īśvara (Supreme controller). The tendency to perform devotional service doesn’t arises in an a-brāhmaṇa. The false devotion that is seen in a Śūdra i.e. a living entity covered with sufferings, is only the attachment towards the illusory temporary objects, it is not the serving tendency towards the object that is beyond all sense-perception (Adhokṣaja) and is indestructible (Akṣara). Therefore the Vedas again say —
etad akṣaraṁ gārgy aviditvā’smāl lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇaḥ ।
O Gārgi, those who don’t possess the knowledge of relationship with that Akṣara object and who love this world, they are whining misers or Śūdras.
And those who possess the knowledge of the relationship with the Akṣara object, they only are Brāhmaṇa. By attaining the qualification of being a Brāhmaṇa when the faith arises in a living entity, then they climb to the platform of Bhakti.
