Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 17: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of the Varṇāśrama System

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.17.19

śuśrūṣaṇaḿ dvija-gavāḿ

devānāḿ cāpy amāyayā

tatra labdhena santoṣaḥ

śūdra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ

SYNONYMS

śuśrūṣaṇam — service; dvija — of the brāhmaṇas; gavām — of the cows; devānām — of worshipable personalities such as the demigods and the spiritual master; ca — also; api — indeed; amāyayā — without duplicity; tatrain such service; labdhena — with that which is obtained; santoṣaḥ — complete satisfaction; śūdra — of the śūdras; prakṛtayaḥ — the natural qualities; tu — indeed; imāḥ — these.

TRANSLATION

Service without duplicity to the brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods and other worshipable personalities, and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the natural qualities of śūdras.

PURPORT

When the entire social order is functioning properly according to Vedic standards, everyone is happy and satisfied. Although the śūdras are to be satisfied with whatever income they obtain through their service, they never lack the necessities of life, because the other orders of society, such as kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, are required to be abundantly generous, and the brāhmaṇas are well known for being the most merciful of all. Therefore, if all social classes obey the Vedic injunctions there will be a new and blissful life for the entire human society under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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