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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 29]
PURPORT
One has to execute his prescribed duties according to his social position as a  brāhmaṇa ,  kṣatriya ,  vaiśya  or  śūdra . The prescribed duties of the four classes of men in human society are also described in  Bhagavad-gītā . The activities of  brāhmaṇas  are to control the senses and to become simple, clean, learned devotees. The  kṣatriyas  have the spirit for ruling, they are not afraid on the battlefield, and they are charitable. The  vaiśyas , or the mercantile class of men, trade in commodities, protect cows and develop agricultural produce. The  śūdras , or laborer class, serve the higher classes because they themselves are not very intelligent.
From every position, as confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā ,  sva-karmaṇātam abhyarcya : one can serve the Supreme Lord by performing his prescribed duty. It is not that only the  brāhmaṇas  can serve the Supreme Lord and not the  śūdras . Anyone can serve the Supreme Lord by performing his prescribed duties under the direction of a spiritual master or representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one should think that his prescribed duties are inferior. A  brāhmaṇa  can serve the Lord by using his intelligence, and the  kṣatriya  can serve the Supreme Lord by using his military arts, just as Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna was a warrior; he had no time to study  Vedānta , or other highly intellectual books. The damsels in Vrajadhāma were girls born of the  vaiśya  class, and they engaged in protecting cows and producing agriculture. Kṛṣṇa's foster father, Nanda Mahārāja, and his associates were all  vaiśyas . They were not at all educated, but they could serve Kṛṣṇa by loving Him and by offering everything to Him. Similarly, there are many instances in which  caṇḍālas , or those lower than  śūdras , have served Kṛṣṇa. Also, the sage Vidura was considered a  śūdra  because his mother happened to be  śūdra . There are no distinctions, for it is declared by the Lord in  Bhagavad-gītā  that anyone engaged specifically in devotional service is elevated to the transcendental position without a doubt. Everyone's prescribed duty is glorious if it is performed in devotional service of the Lord, without desire for profit. Such loving service must be performed without reason, without impediment and spontaneously. Kṛṣṇa is lovable, and one has to serve Him in whatever capacity he can. That is pure devotional service.
Another significant phrase in this verse is  nātihiṁsreṇa  (with minimum violence or sacrifice of life). Even if a devotee has to commit violence, it should not be done beyond what is necessary. Sometimes the question is put before us: "You ask us not to eat meat, but you are eating vegetables. Do you think that is not violence?" The answer is that eating vegetables is violence and vegetarians are also committing violence against other living