Dear OKO
Since you asked for some 'external opinions' in your last line, I am sharing a few thoughts.
The Bhagavad Gita is a Smriti text but is considered similar to an Upanishad because it encapsulates the essence of all major Upanishads. It presents teachings in a relatable way, regardless of one's stage in life.
I recommend looking for the definition of a Brahmana in chapter 18 of the Gita. Online searches show it is verse 18.42. Here is one translation:
> "Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, realization, etc. — these are the duties of the Brahmanas, born of their own nature."
This may not be the best translation, but it is a starting point. Elsewhere and in this context, birth in a family is not considered when defining who a Brahmana is.
The word 'caste' is of Portuguese origin. 'Jaathi' or 'Kula' is often taken as caste, but this now includes hierarchy, which is purely human imagination. The concept of 'Kula' came about with a broad-minded thought process. Early societies did not value ambition and competition as they do today. Excellence was acceptable, but ambition arises from comparing oneself to others. A person born to a pot maker created pots and sold them. No one was denied Moksha. However, caste ideas of hierarchy have corrupted the original idea of 'Kula.'
So, if you ask if there are any Brahmanas today, my answer is yes, but they are spread worldwide and are not connected by birth. Most people are business-oriented, so we are all Vaishyas to some extent.
Strive to live as a Brahmana by the definition given in the Gita.
The second question is more historical and related to caste ideas. The practices of various sects, including Sri Vaishnavism (SV) today, are very divisive. But even as a dualist (I know SV claims a special case of Advaita, though to me they are qualified dualists), why not see all as devotees in front of Maha Vishnu?
Swami Vivekananda talked about this unity in his famous Chicago address:
> "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
This is from the Sandhyavandanam mantras recited every day by many people.
Strive for unity and oneness and speak against divisiveness. That is the best Brahmana in action.
All the best
