Text 25] The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes 45
Siidrasya sannatih saucarh
seva svaminy amdyaya
amantra-yajnio hy asteyam
satyam go-vipra-raksanam

Siidrasya—of the Sidra (the fourth grade of man in society, the
worker); sannatih—obedience to the higher classes (the braéhmanas,
ksatriyas and vaisyas) ; Saucam—cleanliness; sevd—service; svdmini—
to the master who maintains him; amdyaya—without duplicity;
amantra-yajriah—performance of sacrifices simply by offering obei-
sances (without mantras); hi—certainly; asteyam—practicing not to
steal; satyam—truthfulness; go—cows; vipra—bradhmanas; raksanam
— protecting.

TRANSLATION

Offering obeisances to the higher sections of society [the
brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas], being always very clean, being
free from duplicity, serving one’s master, performing sacrifices
without uttering mantras, not stealing, always speaking the truth
and giving all protection to the cows and brahmanas—these are the
symptoms of the sidra.

PURPORT

It is everyone’s experience that workers or servants are generally ac-
customed to stealing. A first-class servant is one who does not steal. Here
it is recommended that a first-class Sidra must remain very clean, must
not steal or speak lies, and must always render service to his master. A
Sidra may attend sacrifices and Vedic ritualistic ceremonies along with
his master, but he should not utter the mantras, for these may be uttered
only by the members of the higher sections of society. Unless one is com-
pletely pure and has been raised to the standard of a brahmana, ksatriya
or vaisya—in other words, unless one is dvija, twiceborn —the chanting
of mantras will not be fruitful.

TEXT 25
aint 3 afegarat TEPLTTECM |
qaeysaatay fret TTT NR!
