Text 20]
The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes
41
ṛtam uñchaśilam proktam amṛtam yad ayācitam mṛtam tu nitya-yācñā syāt pramṛtam karṣaṇam smṛtam
satyānṛtam ca vāṇijyam śva-vṛttir nīca-sevanam varjayet tām sadā vipro rājanyaś ca jugupsitām sarva-vedamayo vipraḥ sarva-devamayo nṛpaḥ
ṛta-amṛtābhyām—of the means of livelihood known as ṛta and amṛta; jīveta—one may live; mṛtena—by the profession of mṛta; pramṛtena vā—or by the profession of pramṛta; satyānṛtābhyām api—even by the profession of satyānṛta; vā—or; na—never; śva-vṛttyā—by the profession of the dogs; kadācana—at any time; ṛtam—ṛta; uñchaśilam—the livelihood of collecting grains left in the field or marketplace; proktam—it is said; amṛtam—the profession of amṛta; yat—which; ayācitam—obtained without begging from anyone else; mṛtam—the profession of mṛta; tu—but; nitya-yācñā—begging grains every day from the farmers; syāt—should be; pramṛtam—the pramṛta means of livelihood; karṣaṇam—tilling the field; smṛtam—it is so remembered; satyānṛtam—the occupation of satyānṛta; ca—and; vāṇijyam—trade; śva-vṛttiḥ—the occupation of the dogs; nīca-sevanam—the service of low persons (the vaiśyas and śūdras); varjayet—should give up; tām—that (the profession of the dogs); sadā—always; vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa; rājanyaḥ ca—and the kṣatriya; jugupsitām—very abominable; sarva-veda-mayaḥ—learned in all the Vedic understandings; vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa; sarva-deva-mayaḥ—the embodiment of all the demigods; nṛpaḥ—the kṣatriya or king.
TRANSLATION
In time of emergency, one may accept any of the various types of professions known as ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta and satyānṛta, but one should not at any time accept the profession of a dog. The profession of uñchaśila, collecting grains from the field, is called