Canto 11: General History | Chapter 17: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of the Varṇāśrama System |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.17.13
vipra-kṣatriya-viṭ-śūdrā
mukha-bāhūru-pāda-jāḥ
vairājāt puruṣāj jātā
ya ātmācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ
SYNONYMS
vipra — brāhmaṇas; kṣatriya — kṣatriyas, the martial class; viṭ — vaiśyas, mercantile men; śūdrāḥ — śūdras, workers; mukha — from the mouth; bāhu — arms; ūru — thighs; pāda — and legs; jāḥ — born; vairājāt — from the universal form; puruṣāt — from the Personality of Godhead; jātāḥ — generated; ye — who; ātma — personal; ācāra — by activities; lakṣaṇāḥ — recognized.
TRANSLATION
In Tretā-yuga the four social orders were manifested from the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas appeared from the Lord's face, the kṣatriyas from the Lord's arms, the vaiśyas from the Lord's thighs and the śūdras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social division was recognized by its particular duties and behavior.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
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