Devanagari
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप ।
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: ॥ ४१ ॥
Verse text
brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśāṁ
śūdrāṇāṁ ca paran-tapa
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni
svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ
Synonyms
brāhmaṇa
—
of the brāhmaṇas
;
kṣatriya
—
the kṣatriyas
;
viśām
—
and the vaiśyas
;
śūdrāṇām
—
of the śūdras
;
ca
—
and
;
param-tapa
—
O subduer of the enemies
;
karmāṇi
—
the activities
;
pravibhaktāni
—
are divided
;
svabhāva
—
their own nature
;
prabhavaiḥ
—
born of
;
guṇaiḥ
—
by the modes of material nature.
Translation
Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes, O chastiser of the enemy.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
41. O afflicter of enemies, the activities of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras have been designated precisely according to the guṇas arising from birth.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
41. O afflicter of enemies, the activities of the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras have been divided precisely according to the guṇas arising from previous impressions.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
However, the living body filled with the three guṇas becomes successful by worshipping the Supreme Lord by prescribed activities according to the person’s nature. This is described in six verses. These activities or duties, designated precisely (pravibhaktāni) by the guṇas of sattva, rajas and tamas, which manifest by birth (svabhāvena), are prescribed for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Though all things are composed of the three guṇas, if the four varṇas perform their prescribed activities with the thought of worshiping the Lord, those activites will produce steadiness in jṣāna and lead to liberation. In order to express this idea, the Lord begins a new topic, explaining it in six verses.
The word śūdrāṇam is separated from the compound of the other three varṇas to indicate that śūdras are not twice born. The actions of the four varṇas are divided by scripture according to the guṇas which appear from impressions [Note: Accroding to Rāmānjua anubhavajā smṛti hetuḥ vāsanā. Saṁskāras or impressions, also called vāsanās, are the modifications of knowledge which cause memory of previous experience. They exist as knowledge, which is an attribute of the jīva, and produce memories of previous experience under certain conditions.] coming from previous lives of the individual (svabhāva prabhavaih). Thus the four varṇas endowed with the guṇas have the activities discussed in the next verses.
A person is classed as brāhmaṇa, with a predominance of sattva, because of his peaceful nature. One is classed as kṣatirya, predominantly raja guṇa with sattva as a secondary mode, because of having the nature of controlling others. One is classed as vaiśya, predominantly of rajas mode, with tamas as secondary mode, because of a predominance of dealing with money. One is classed as śūdra, predominantly of tama guṇa with rajas as a secondary mode, because of nature of foolishness. The activities of each wlll be described next.