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I found this YouTube video (with English subtitles) of Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, the current Shankaracharya of Puri, but don't quite understand what he's trying to convey.

Can someone summarize what he's trying to say?

According to him, is one's varna fixed at birth?

Is this consistent with teachings or commentary of Adi Shankara?

Say No To Censorship
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Pasham Vishnu Vardhan Goud
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    Yes. Not only advaita, or dwaita, or any other -ta, all varna is determined by birth, because birth is determined by previous karma. But some persons mistakenly decide not to follow the duties of their varna - and this leads to confusion like he said 'Kshatriya-brahman', or 'shudra-brahman'. For example, my category would probably fall under 'vaishya-brahman', because I work in IT. But this kind of categorization does not make sense, because tomorrow if I join army, then i become kshatriya-brahman etc. Instead it is better to say I am neglecting the duties of my varna and doing something else. – ram Nov 05 '20 at 18:19
  • Shudra - Brahman can read Vedas – Pasham Vishnu Vardhan Goud Nov 06 '20 at 10:36
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    The question as currently framed doesn't make a lot of sense. Usually dharma shastras determine if a person if eligible for something or not. Not a philosophy. You could instead ask, "Is Varna based on birth according to Shankaracharya?" - then it will be a valid question for the site. "Can any one give explanation to this video https://youtu.be/EB1f_nv5V-I" -- this is an opinion-based question - not suitable for the site. – Say No To Censorship Nov 06 '20 at 11:48
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    lol @sv - you ask questions like this quoting some kondar's interpretation of ISKCON. and then you call this question, based on a traditional guru's discourse, as 'opinion-based'. – ram Nov 06 '20 at 22:57
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    I never said the whole question is opinion-based, only this part: "Can any one give explanation to this video youtu.be/EB1f_nv5V-I" -- it's like telling someone to watch a movie and then write a review or message conveyed by it. So I told OP to convert this into an objective question, e.g., "Does Shankaracharya of Puri consider Varna is based on birth?" @ram – Say No To Censorship Nov 07 '20 at 11:11
  • @sv - it is no different from you quoting a book of konrad, asking people to read it, and then asking for his interpretation. – ram Nov 07 '20 at 22:37
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    @PashamVishnuVardhanGoud In Rig Veda - I am a singer, my Father’s a physician, my Mother’s task is to grind the corn. Diverse are our callings but we all aim at wealth. We run in its wake like a cowherd trailing cows. It seems in one family many Varna can exist. – Kumar Nov 08 '20 at 03:15
  • @PashamVishnuVardhanGoud so, it cannot be by birth but by guna or qualities. – Kumar Nov 10 '20 at 03:03
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    @Kumar - where is that translation ? suppose I clean up my bathroom in day, protect my house against robbers at night, keep accounts of my income/expense in evening, does it mean i am a shudra in morning, kshatriya at night, and vaishya in evening ? you're misinterpreting what varna is vs. what tasks we may do as part of our daily activities. varna is about what your duty towards society is. – ram Nov 10 '20 at 06:32
  • @ram I think you are misinterpreting. Singer and the physician is a full-time job. Not a part-time and not even a small task to be a singer or physician by birth and not even anyone can learn those easily. What I am saying that Mother task to grind the corn must be a specific task or a job like a singer or a physician in those ancient times. Otherwise, our ancestors will not try to even mention that thing. As everyone is sudra by birth also mentioned in scriptures. These can be seen as by guna. One cannot become a physician by birth. – Kumar Nov 11 '20 at 09:33
  • @ram if you think. A singer son or daughter have a higher tendency to become a singer. It is due to their environment, not by their genetics or by birth they got some power. If you are saying you are a brahman. You need to understand the Brahm. if you cannot understand the Brahm. You can never be a Brahman. Once you understand Brahm you will never see a difference between any living or non-living. – Kumar Nov 11 '20 at 09:45
  • @Kumar - yes, everyone is a sudra at birth. but not everyone can 'become' brahmana by undergoing upanayana. that is only done if your parents are brahmana. your birth in this life is determined by your birth+acts in previous birth. Have you heard of genetics ? A basketball player's son is likely to grow over 6ft tall and have athletic body. A professor's son is likely to do well in academics. You're talking against both science & religion (both of which accept genetics). – ram Nov 11 '20 at 21:51
  • @ram genetics does not work like that. It will take thousands of years to pass the parent genes to people to become new, it's not doctor son will get a doctor like knowledge just because his father or mother is a doctor. For that their entire family have to become physicians, marry physicians for thousands of years even then it will not quite possible to make a child a physician. If you think Brahman marry Brahman in India for thousands of years. Their child becomes a brahman by birth. Not possible as we can see, there are many brahman children who don't have any interest in Hindusim at all. – Kumar Nov 12 '20 at 04:32
  • @ram but there are many much more in other Varna who wanted to learn and become more devoted Hindu. They wanted to learn more than those of Brahman children. Even by the logic, those people who have eager to learn Hinduism are much more worthy to be a brahman than those Brahman children. There are many people who are 6ft tall, have a better athletic body. There are people who are much more intelligent in academics than those professor's children. Just, for a few examples, Newton in academics, like Prahlad (asur) due to his Bhakti, Lord Vishnu likes him much more than most of the humans. – Kumar Nov 12 '20 at 04:47
  • @ram Just because one guy is better doesn't mean every child he has will get all his quality or even become like him. Sachin's son cannot become Sachin. He can better himself. But he cannot become Sachin. upanayana does not make someone Brahman. It is only the understanding of your true self (Brahm) one can become Brahman. That is Atma Bodha. You have to understand the Brahm to become a Brahman. – Kumar Nov 12 '20 at 04:50
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    He says that varna is by birth fixed. Same is said by sankara – Rakesh Joshi Nov 14 '20 at 13:27

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