Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

In varansharam system higher varan are more suitable for practice of Dharma (not devotional service) than lower varan but Krishna says Bhakti does not recognise such discrimination. They can also be elevated if they practice devotional service. (Next Verse)

Bg 9.32

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

Word for word: 

mām — of Me; hi — certainly; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; vyapāśritya — particularly taking shelter; ye — those who; api — also; syuḥ — are; pāpa–yonayaḥ — born of a lower family; striyaḥ — women; vaiśyāḥ — mercantile people; tathā — also; śūdrāḥ — lower-class men; te api — even they; yānti — go; parām — to the supreme; gatim — destination.

Translation: 

O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

māṁ hi pārtha, those who take shelter of Me

vyapāśritya, āśritya, shelter, so those who take shelter of Me

ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ, even if they have sinful births, yonayaḥ, womb 

striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās, example of pāpa-yonayaḥ, women, mercantile community and general laborers Sudras,  

te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim, even they can attain Supreme Destination 

Actually this verse is demonstrating Lord’s mercy but for many people this verse demonstrates that how BG is discriminatory. It considers women and lower class to be sinful. Actually we have to understand things from proper cultural context.

Ultimately any soul who gets human body is extremely fortunate. Everyone can get chance of spiritual perfection.

Within human form also based on suitability of practice of spirituality there are gradation and this is based on quality and not birth.

Brahmanas are ready to live life which are more focused on Brahm which is involving simplicity, austerity, spirituality, purity, maturity in terms of sense control and proper behaviour and balance. These attributes are more suitable for spiritual realisation. 

On the other hand those who are not ready to regulate themselves much they are considered Sudras, as they are not ready to harmonise themselves for spiritual advancement. Of course they are also given arrangement by which they can be slowly elevated.

So within Varnasharam higher casts are considered more qualified for spiritual advancement than lower casts which is by quality and not by birth.

So this is the case for Karma and Gyana but this is not the case for Bhakti. Karma Kanda focus on Dharma, Artha, Kama and Gyana focuses on Moksha but in Bhakti is largely based on relationship of love from heart one can offer love. So Bhakti can elevate everyone.

Again males are more analytical, more philosophical, in female body the bodily identification is much greater than in male body that is general, when soul has done more punya gets male body. 

So the point is we all have different starting points in life and denying that will simple make ourselves blind, the male and female body are different the starting points are different that is not discrimination but acknowledgement of reality, 

But the process is Bhakti is so powerful so potent so fast that once we start off the starting point doesn’t matter, that is what Krishna is emphasising here, 

So here Krishna’s point is not supporting discrimination but teaching a process that will end discrimination. 

Srila Prabhupada has mentioned in Kunti Maharani’s prayer that women are more inclined towards devotion more faithful and they can accept this process more easily. Process of Bhakti channelized emotion and women are more emotional which will direct them toward bhakti.

End of transcription.