Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 31

Sanskrit:

वयं तु पुरुषव्याघ्र ऐक्ष्वाका: क्षत्रबन्धव: ।मुचुकुन्द इति प्रोक्तो यौवनाश्वात्मज: प्रभो ॥ ३१ ॥

ITRANS:

vayaṁ tu puruṣa-vyāghraaikṣvākāḥ kṣatra-bandhavaḥmucukunda iti proktoyauvanāśvātmajaḥ prabho

Translation:

As for ourselves, O tiger among men, we belong to a family of fallen kṣatriyas, descendants of King Ikṣvāku. My name is Mucukunda, my Lord, and I am the son of Yauvanāśva.

Purport:

It is common in Vedic culture that a kṣatriya will humbly introduce himself as kṣatra-bandhu, a mere relative in a kṣatriya family, or in other words a fallen kṣatriya. In ancient Vedic culture, to claim a particular status on the basis of one’s family relations was itself indicative of a fallen position. Kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas should be given status according to their merit, by their qualities of work and character. When the caste system in India became degraded, people proudly claimed to be relatives of kṣatriyas or brāhmaṇas, though in the past such a claim, unaccompanied by tangible qualifications, indicated a fallen position.