854 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 21

words; kaya—body; gunaih—by the particular qualities; sva-karmabhih—by
occupational duties; amayinah—without reservation; kama-dugha—ful-
filling all desires; anghri-pankajam—the lotus feet; yatha—as far as; adhi-
kara—ability; avasita-artha—fully convinced of one’s interest; siddhayah—
satisfaction.

TRANSLATION

Prthu Maharaja advised his citizens: Engaging your minds, your words,
your bodies and the results of your occupational duties, and being always
open-minded, you should all render devotional service to the Lord.
According to your abilities and the occupations in which you are
situated, you should engage your service at the lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead with full confidence and without reservation.
Then surely you will be successful in achieving the final objective in

your lives.
PURPORT

As stated in the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, sva-karmana tam
abhyarcya: one has to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his
occupational duties. This necessitates accepting the principle of four
varnas and four asramas. Prthu Maharaja therefore says, gunaih sva-
karmabhih. This phrase is explained in Bhagavad-gitd. Catur-varnyam
maya srstarh guna-karma-vibhagasah: “‘The four castes (the brahmanas,
ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras) are created by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead according to the material modes of nature and the particular
duties discharged in those modes.” A person who is situated in the mode
of goodness is certainly more intelligent than others. Therefore he can
practice the brahminical activities—namely, speaking the truth, controlling
the senses, controlling the mind, remaining always clean, practicing
tolerance, having full knowledge about one’s self-identity, and under-
standing devotional service. In this way, if he engages himself in the
loving service of the Lord as an actual brahmana, his aim to achieve the
final interest of life is attained. Similarly, the ksatriya’s duties are to give
protection to the citizens, to give all his possessions in charity, to be
strictly Vedic in the management of state affairs, and to be unafraid to
fight whenever there is an attack by enemies. In this way, a ksatriya can
satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his occupational duties.
Similarly, a vaisya can satisfy the Supreme Godhead by properly executing
his occupational duties—engaging himself in producing foodstuffs, giving
protection to cows, and trading if necessary when there is an excess of
agricultural production. Similarly, because they do not have ample
