वेददृग्भिः स्मृतो राजन्प्रेत्य चेह च शर्मकृत् ॥३१॥
prÄyaḥ sva-bhÄva-vihito
nṛṇÄá¹ dharmo yuge yuge
veda-dá¹›gbhiḥ smá¹›to rÄjan
pretya ceha ca śarma-kṛt
prÄyaḥ - generally; sva-bhÄva-vihitaḥ - prescribed, according to one's material modes of nature; nṛṇÄm - of human society; dharmaḥ - the occupational duty; yuge yuge - in every age; veda-dá¹›gbhiḥ - by brÄhmaṇas well conversant in the Vedic knowledge; smá¹›taḥ - recognized; rÄjan - O King; pretya - after death; ca - and; iha - here (in this body); ca - also; Å›arma-ká¹›t - auspicious.
My dear King, brÄhmaṇas well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sections of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death.
In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (3.35) it is said, Å›reyÄn sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmÄt svanuá¹£á¹hitÄt: “It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties.†The antyajas, the men of the lower classes, are accustomed to stealing, drinking and illicit sex, but that is not considered sinful. For example, if a tiger kills a man, this is not sinful but if a man kills another man, this is considered sinful, and the killer is hanged. What is a daily affair among the animals is a sinful act in human society. Thus according to the symptoms of higher and lower sections of society, there are different varieties of occupational duties. According to the experts in Vedic knowledge, these duties are prescribed in terms of the age concerned.
