Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Description of the Varṇāśrama System
सीदन् विप्रो वणिग्वृत्त्या पण्यैरेवापदं तरेत् । खड्गेन वापदाक्रान्तो न श्ववृत्त्या कथञ्चन ॥ ४७ ॥
Transliteration
sīdan vipro vaṇig-vṛttyā paṇyair evāpadaṁ taret khaḍgena vāpadākrānto na śva-vṛttyā kathañcana
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
sīdan — suffering; vipraḥ — a brāhmaṇa; vaṇik — of a merchant; vṛttyā — by the occupation; paṇyaiḥ — by doing business; eva — indeed; āpadam — suffering; taret — should overcome; khaḍgena — with sword; vā — or; āpadā — by suffering; ākrāntaḥ — afflicted; na — not; śva — of the dog; vṛttyā — by the occupation; kathañcana — by any means.
Translation
“If a brāhmaṇa cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling material things. If he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a kṣatriya, taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an ordinary master.”