Bhagvatam: ONE MAY BE A BRÄHMANA IN TERMS OF HIS CULTURE AND FAMILY AND MAY BE EXPERT IN VEDIC KNOWLEDGE, BUT IF HE IS NOT A VAISHNAVA (PURE DEVOTEE OF LORD), HE CANNOT BE A GURU

Sri Sukadeva Gosvämi said: O King Parikshit, who are so charitably disposed, when Vrträsura (demon) was killed, all the presiding deities and everyone else in the three planetary systems was immediately pleased and free from trouble—everyone, that is, except Indra.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, the demigods, the great saintly persons, the inhabitants of Pitrloka and Bhütaloka, the demons, the followers of the demigods, and also Lord Brahmä, Lord Shiva and the demigods subordinate to Indra all returned to their respective homes. While departing, however, no one spoke to Indra.

PURPORT

In this connection Srila Vishvanätha Chakravarti Thäkura comments:

Lord Brahmä, Lord Shiva and the other demigods returned to their respective abodes, but Indra did not, for he was disturbed at having killed Vrträsura, who was actually a brähmana. 

After killing Vrträsura, Indra went to the Mänasa-sarovara Lake to become free from sinful reactions. When he left the lake, he performed an ashvamedha-yajna and then returned to his own abode.

TRANSLATION

Mahäräja Parikshit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvämi: O great sage, what was the reason for Indra's unhappiness? I wish to hear about this. When he killed Vrträsura, all the demigods were extremely happy. Why, then, was Indra himself unhappy?

PURPORT

This, of course, is a very intelligent question. 

When a demon is killed, certainly all the demigods are happy. In this case, however, when all the demigods were happy because of Vrträsura's having been killed, Indra was unhappy. Why? 

IT MAY BE SUGGESTED THAT INDRA WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT HE HAD KILLED A GREAT DEVOTEE AND BRÄHMANA. VRTRÄSURA OUTWARDLY APPEARED TO BE A DEMON, BUT INWARDLY HE WAS A GREAT DEVOTEE AND THEREFORE A GREAT BRÄHMANA.

HEREIN IT IS CLEARLY INDICATED THAT A PERSON WHO IS NOT AT ALL DEMONIAC, SUCH AS PRAHLÄDA MAHÄRÄJA AND BALI MAHÄRÄJA, MAY OUTWARDLY BE A DEMON OR BE BORN IN A FAMILY OF DEMONS. 

Therefore in terms of real culture one should not be considered a demigod or demon simply according to birth. In his dealings while fighting with Indra, Vrträsura proved himself a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 

Furthermore, as soon as he finished fighting with Indra and was apparently killed, Vrträsura was transferred to Vaikunthaloka to become an associate of Sankarshana. Indra knew this, and therefore he was morose at having killed such a demon, who was actually a Vaishnava or brähmana.

A Vaishnava is already a brähmana, although a brähmana may not be a Vaishnava. The Padma Puräna says:

ONE MAY BE A BRÄHMANA IN TERMS OF HIS CULTURE AND FAMILY AND MAY BE EXPERT IN VEDIC KNOWLEDGE (MANTRA-TANTRA-VISHÄRADAM), BUT IF HE IS NOT A VAISHNAVA, HE CANNOT BE A GURU. 

This means that an expert brähmana may not be a Vaishnava, but a Vaishnava is already a brähmana. A millionaire may very easily possess hundreds and thousands of dollars, but a person with hundreds and thousands of dollars is not necessarily a millionaire. Vrträsura was a perfect Vaishnava, and therefore he was also a brähmana.