varteta brahmaá¹‡Ä vipro
rÄjanyo raká¹£ayÄ bhuvaḥ
vaiÅ›yas tu vÄrtayÄ jÄ«vec
chÅ«dras tu dvija-sevayÄ
varteta - lives; brahmaá¹‡Ä - by the Vedas; vipraḥ - the brÄhmaṇa; rÄjanyaḥ - the member of the ruling class; raká¹£ayÄ - by protection; bhuvaḥ - of the earth; vaiÅ›yaḥ - the vaiÅ›ya; tu - on the other hand; vÄrtayÄ - by trade; jÄ«vet - lives; śūdraḥ - the śūdra; tu - and; dvija-sevayÄ - by serving the twice-born brÄhmaṇas, ká¹£atriyas and vaiÅ›yas.
The brÄhmaṇa maintains his life by studying and teaching the Vedas, the member of the royal order by protecting the earth, the vaiÅ›ya by trade, and the śūdra by serving the higher, twice-born classes.
After glorifying karma, or work, Lord Kṛṣṇa now explains what He means by prescribed duties born of one’s nature. He was not referring to any whimsical activity, but rather to the religious duties prescribed in the varṇÄÅ›rama, or Vedic social system.
