Verse 18.41
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप ।
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः ॥
Transliteration
brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca parantapa |
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāvaprabhavairguṇaiḥ ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, as also of Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the alities born of their own nature.
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
The duties of brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas, and of shudras too, scorcher of foes, are divided according to the qualities arising from their inborn nature.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
Krishna turns to the social order. The duties of brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras, the four classes (varṇa) of the society of his time, are divided according to qualities arising from each person's inborn nature (svabhāva). The verse grounds social roles in inner qualities rather than in privilege. Readers have long debated whether this means a fixed order by birth or a fit between temperament and work. The passage that follows describes each class through its characteristic virtues and tasks.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08