Bhagavad Gita 18.44
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम्।परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्।।
kṛiṣhi-gau-rakṣhya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśhya-karma svabhāva-jam paricharyātmakaṁ karma śhūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam
Word-by-Word
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kṛiṣhi | kṛiṣhi | agriculture |
| gau-rakṣhya | gau-rakṣhya | dairy farming |
| vāṇijyam | vāṇijyam | commerce |
| vaiśhya | vaiśhya | of the mercantile and farming class |
| karma | karma | work |
| svabhāva-jam | svabhāva-jam | born of one’s intrinsic qualities |
| paricharyā | paricharyā | serving through work |
| ātmakam | ātmakam | natural |
| karma | karma | duty |
| śhūdrasya | śhūdrasya | of the worker class |
| api | api | and |
| svabhāva-jam | svabhāva-jam | born of one’s intrinsic qualities |
Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of their own nature; and service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of their own nature.
कृषि, गौपालन तथा वाणिज्य - ये वैश्य के स्वाभाविक कर्म हैं, और शूद्र का स्वाभाविक कर्म है परिचर्या अर्थात् सेवा करना।।