Bhaktivinod Thakur has written this song “Mana Re Keno Ar Varna Abhiman”. The Official Name for this song is Upadesa: Song 09. This song is taken from the book Kalyana Kalpataru. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says why do materialistic people crib and keep false pride about their caste. They treat others like dirt. When you die and go to hell there won’t be any difference between the treatment for you and the other lower caste. Don’t misuse your honor and insult any Vaishnava. Sri Krishna will not tolerate any insults and bad behavior against His dear devotees. Hence just pray with pure heart to Hare Govinda and you will definitely become successful.
(1)
mana re, keno ar barna abhiman,
marile pataki ho'ye, jamadute ja'be lo'ye,
na koribe jatir samman
(2)
jadi bhalo karma koro', svarga-bhoga atahpara,
ta'te bipra candala saman
narakeo dui jane, danda pa'be ek sane
janmantare samana bidhan
(3)
tabe keno abhiman, lo'ye tuccha barna-man,
marana abadhi ja'r man
ucca barna-pada dhori' barnantare ghrna kori',
naraker na koro' sandhan
(4)
samajika man lo'ye, thako bhai bipra ho'ye,
baisnabe na koro' apaman
adara byapari ho'ye, bibada jahaja lo'ye,
kabhu nahi hore, buddhiman
(5)
tabe jadi krsna-bhakti, sadha' tumi jathasakti,
sonaya sohaga pa'be sthan
sarthaka hoibe sutra, sarva-labha ihamutra,
binoda koribe stuti-gan
(1) Oh my dear mind, why do you still have this vain egoistic pride due to your family caste? The fact is that when a sinful man dies, then no matter who he is the Yamadutas(the agents of Yamaraja, the demigod of death) will carry away without paying the slightest respect to his caste and family lineage.
(2) Even if one does good works and enjoys celestial pleasures in the heavenly planetary systems, he is still not safe, for after his good karma is exhausted he gets equal treatment along with brahmanas as well as dog-eating outcastes. In hell both persons will receive equal punishment in one place, and for their next birth, equal ruling is administered.
(3) So then why do you maintain such false pride, dear mind? Your insignificant caste vanity lasts only to up to the time of your death, when it will be taken away along with your body. My advice to you is that, please don't despise any other caste if you have taken a so called high birth in this present life. Don't search for suffering in hell by unnecessarily scorning another's apparent low-class birth.
(4) If you have been born into a position of aristocratic social honor, then just live as a humble, learned brahmana, dear brother, but don't ever dare to abuse or insult anyVaisnava. For a caste brahmana to oppose or challenge a Vaisnava is just like the story of the poor ginger salesman who sells only a few paisa worth of ginger roots in the market every day. One day he saw a huge ship laden with very costly cargos moored on the river. He went over to the ship and started demanding information about the cargo, the price, the destination, the profit and so on. He is simply insignificant, but he wants to lord it over such huge business affairs of the sea-going vessel and after some time the ship's crew said, "Well, who are you anyway, that you are interrogating us so?" And he told them, "I just sell a little ginger in the bazaar." So if a brahmana tries to dishonor a bona fide Vaisnava, then he simply makes useless conflict, and he never becomes wise.
(5) So if you would just combine devotion to Krsna with an effort to the best of your ability, my dear mind, then you will be situated in the perfect combination of spiritual activity. Then, whatever caste or material position you happen to be situated in, will become really successful, and you will attain all desirable things in this way. AndBhaktivinoda will sing the praises of your glories.