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Bhagavad Gita · 18.44 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·44 of 78

कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम्परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्

kṛiṣhi-gau-rakṣhya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśhya-karma

svabhāva-jam paricharyātmakaṁ karma śhūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam

Sanskrit recitation

Honor your own dharma · 18.41–18.48 · Teaching

Translation

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.

Meaning

When a man performs his duties rightly according to his caste and order of life his heart is purified and he goes to heaven. Apastambha Dharma Sutra declares, Men of severla,castes and orders, each devoted to his respective duties, reap the fruits of their actions after death, and then by the residual Karma attain to births in superior Dharma, span of life, learning, conduct, wealth, happiness and intelligence (2,2,2,3). There is a vivid description in the Puranas also of the different results and worlds which men of the four castes and orders obtain by discharging their respective duties.

After Swami Sivananda

Honor your own dharma· 18.41–18.48

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
api
and
karma
duty
vaiśhya
of the mercantile and farming class
ātmakam
natural
kṛiṣhi
agriculture
paricharyā
serving through work
vāṇijyam
commerce
śhūdrasya
of the worker class
gau-rakṣhya
dairy farming
svabhāva-jam
born of one’s intrinsic qualities

Related verses

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