Word meanings
- kṛṣi
- agriculture
- gau-rakṣya
- dairy farming
- vāṇijyam
- commerce
- vaiśya
- of the mercantile and farming class
- karma
- work
- svabhāva-jam
- born of one’s intrinsic qualities
- paricaryā
- serving through work
- ātmakam
- natural
- karma
- duty
- śūdrasya
- of the worker class
- api
- and
- svabhāva-jam
- born of one’s intrinsic qualities
Translations
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.
Agriculture, the protection of cows, and trade are the duties of a trader, in accordance with his nature. The duty of a servant is to serve, which also agrees with his nature.
The natural duties of the Vaisyas are agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trading. The natural duty of the Sudras, too, is in the form of service.
खेती करना, गायोंकी रक्षा करना और शुद्ध व्यापार करना -- ये सब-के-सब वैश्यके स्वाभाविक कर्म हैं, तथा चारों वर्णोंकी सेवा करना शूद्रका भी स्वाभाविक कर्म है।Commentary
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.