Verse 18.44
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् ।
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ॥
Transliteration
kṛṣigaurakṣyavāṇijyaṃ vaiśyakarma svabhāvajam |
paricaryātmakaṃ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāvajam ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of (their own) nature; and action consisting of service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of (their own) nature.
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
Farming, tending cattle and trade are the work of a vaishya, born of his nature; work that consists of service is the work of a shudra, likewise born of his 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
The work of the vaishya is farming, tending cattle and trade; the work of the shudra is service. Both are said to arise from inborn nature, like the duties already described. Including all four in the same pattern suggests that every kind of work has its own place and dignity. Many modern readers stress this point against later hierarchies, while others note the social context of the time. The next verses make clear that perfection is possible through any of these paths.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08