ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परंतप ॥
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर् गुणैः ॥
शमो दमस् तपः शौचं क्षान्तिर् आर्जवम् एव च ॥
ज्ञानं विज्ञानम् आस्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर् दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्य् अपलायनम् ॥
दानम् ईश्वरभावश् च क्षत्रकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ॥
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्य् अभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः ॥
स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच् छृणु ॥
यतः प्रवृत्तिर् भूतानां येन सर्वम् इदं ततम् ॥
स्वकर्मणा तम् अभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥
श्रेयान् स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात् ॥
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन् नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषम् अपि न त्यजेत् ॥
सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निर् इवावृताः ॥
brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca paraṃtapa ||
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāvaprabhavair guṇaiḥ ||
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṃ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca ||
jñānaṃ vijñānam āstikyaṃ brahmakarma svabhāvajam ||
śauryaṃ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṃ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam ||
dānam īśvarabhāvaś ca kṣatrakarma svabhāvajam ||
kṛṣigorakṣyavāṇijyaṃ vaiśyakarma svabhāvajam ||
paricaryātmakaṃ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāvajam ||
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṃsiddhiṃ labhate naraḥ ||
svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṃ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu ||
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṃ yena sarvam idaṃ tatam ||
svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ ||
śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt ||
svabhāvaniyataṃ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam ||
sahajaṃ karma kaunteya sadoṣam api na tyajet ||
sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ ||
"The duties of brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras, O scorcher of foes, are distributed according to the gunas born of their own nature. Calm, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, realized knowledge, and faith in the sacred truth are the natural work of a brahmana. Heroism, strength, steadfastness, skill, not fleeing in battle, generosity, and a lordly nature are the natural work of a kshatriya. Agriculture, the protection of cattle, and trade are the natural work of a vaishya; labor consisting of service is likewise natural for the shudra. A man devoted to his own respective duty attains perfection. Hear how one devoted to his own work attains that perfection. Worshipping through his own work Him from whom the activity of all beings proceeds and by whom all this is pervaded, a man attains perfection. One's own dharma, though imperfect, is better than another's dharma well performed. Performing the action determined by one's own nature, one incurs no sin. O Kaunteya, one's innate work should not be abandoned even if it has flaws, for every undertaking is covered by some fault, as fire is covered by smoke."
a54db0bb5043 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:02:21 PM UTC
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Here varna is described through qualities and nature, not as grounds for pride. Perfection comes when one's own work becomes worship of the Lord who pervades everything, rather than an imitation of another's path.