Caitanya Cartamrta, Madhya 13.80 says: “‘I am not a brähmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a südra. Nor am I a brahmacäri, a householder, a vänaprastha or a sannyäsi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis."
This verse is the internal remembrance of a self-realized soul (bhuta suddhi). It is the remembrance of the spiritual position of the soul, regardless of someone's external duties. It is not an excuse, however, to give them up. Rather, if everyone does their part assigned to them via the Vedic scriptures and bodily propensities, a spiritually progressive society can manifest that provides an internal equality among its members, based upon the advancement of one's heart rather than their material position.
The point is that equal rights shouldn't mean taking away another's job, just because it may seem more appealing, important or prestigious than one's own allotted duties. No, in Vedic society it means everyone has the equal right, the same opportunity, to develop their God consciousness regardless of the different duties designated by Krishna, each of which is meant for the smooth running of a society as a whole. One can be a devic or godly sudra, for example, because the process of Krishna consciousness is so powerful, anyone can develop the brahminical qualifications that attract the Lord and lead to pure love for God. It doesn't require a big education, great wealth or an aristocratic upbringing.
"The stage of a devotee, which attracts the transcendental affection of the Lord, does not develop unless one has developed the qualities of a brähmana... Those who are less than a brähmana by qualification cannot establish any relation with the Lord.“ SB 1.14.34
"The demons have now neglected such injunctions (the protection of women in their domestic role), and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grownup sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to the Manu-samhitä. But modern education has artificially devised a puffed—up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral condition of woman very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is very miserable." -Bg 16.7p
Even if someone is an illiterate, he has the same opportunity (and perhaps the advantage of learning humility more quickly). Lord Chaitanya once met a person who was holding a Bhagavad gita and crying. The Lord asked him, "Why are you crying?"
The devotee said, "My spiritual master has ordered me to read Bhagavad gita every day. But I cannot read!
"Yet, seeing the picture here, of Krishna driving the chariot of His friend Arjuna, and hearing about the Lord from the self realized souls each day at the temple, I am crying while the hairs of my body stand on end, because it is so wonderful to think about how loving and kind towards His devotee is the Lord!"
Seeing this devotee's pure affection for Krishna, Lord Caitanya said to him, "My friend, YOU have understood the real import of the Bhagavad gita."
Materialistic persons have it backwards. They think advancement in life means having the same material opportunities and facilities rather than spiritual qualities. They think a person's worth is how much they are educated by a university or advanced in social position rather than taken notice of by the Lord. Because they are spiritually blind, they cannot understand what is genuine equality.
"That was Indian civilization. Everyone was happy in his position, everyone—brähmana, ksatriya, vaisya, südra. The culture was so nice that nobody was unhappy, even if he is a südra or even if he is a vaisya or a brähmana or ksatriya... Still in India you go to the village. They are happy with their destination. This is the Indian culture. Now we are injecting discontentment, injecting. Otherwise everyone was happy in his position: 'God has given this position. So this is all right. Let me do my work.' That is satisfaction. Everyone was satisfied...Still it is going on, although great propaganda is going on to kill the Vedic culture." - Bg 13.8-12 lecture,10/2/73 Bombay
For more on what Srila Prabhupada has to say in this regard: click here.
This verse is the internal remembrance of a self-realized soul (bhuta suddhi). It is the remembrance of the spiritual position of the soul, regardless of someone's external duties. It is not an excuse, however, to give them up. Rather, if everyone does their part assigned to them via the Vedic scriptures and bodily propensities, a spiritually progressive society can manifest that provides an internal equality among its members, based upon the advancement of one's heart rather than their material position.
The point is that equal rights shouldn't mean taking away another's job, just because it may seem more appealing, important or prestigious than one's own allotted duties. No, in Vedic society it means everyone has the equal right, the same opportunity, to develop their God consciousness regardless of the different duties designated by Krishna, each of which is meant for the smooth running of a society as a whole. One can be a devic or godly sudra, for example, because the process of Krishna consciousness is so powerful, anyone can develop the brahminical qualifications that attract the Lord and lead to pure love for God. It doesn't require a big education, great wealth or an aristocratic upbringing.
"The stage of a devotee, which attracts the transcendental affection of the Lord, does not develop unless one has developed the qualities of a brähmana... Those who are less than a brähmana by qualification cannot establish any relation with the Lord.“ SB 1.14.34
"The demons have now neglected such injunctions (the protection of women in their domestic role), and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grownup sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to the Manu-samhitä. But modern education has artificially devised a puffed—up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral condition of woman very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is very miserable." -Bg 16.7p
Even if someone is an illiterate, he has the same opportunity (and perhaps the advantage of learning humility more quickly). Lord Chaitanya once met a person who was holding a Bhagavad gita and crying. The Lord asked him, "Why are you crying?"
The devotee said, "My spiritual master has ordered me to read Bhagavad gita every day. But I cannot read!
"Yet, seeing the picture here, of Krishna driving the chariot of His friend Arjuna, and hearing about the Lord from the self realized souls each day at the temple, I am crying while the hairs of my body stand on end, because it is so wonderful to think about how loving and kind towards His devotee is the Lord!"
Seeing this devotee's pure affection for Krishna, Lord Caitanya said to him, "My friend, YOU have understood the real import of the Bhagavad gita."
Materialistic persons have it backwards. They think advancement in life means having the same material opportunities and facilities rather than spiritual qualities. They think a person's worth is how much they are educated by a university or advanced in social position rather than taken notice of by the Lord. Because they are spiritually blind, they cannot understand what is genuine equality.
"That was Indian civilization. Everyone was happy in his position, everyone—brähmana, ksatriya, vaisya, südra. The culture was so nice that nobody was unhappy, even if he is a südra or even if he is a vaisya or a brähmana or ksatriya... Still in India you go to the village. They are happy with their destination. This is the Indian culture. Now we are injecting discontentment, injecting. Otherwise everyone was happy in his position: 'God has given this position. So this is all right. Let me do my work.' That is satisfaction. Everyone was satisfied...Still it is going on, although great propaganda is going on to kill the Vedic culture." - Bg 13.8-12 lecture,10/2/73 Bombay
For more on what Srila Prabhupada has to say in this regard: click here.