SB 7.11.24 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

शूद्रस्य सन्नति: शौचं सेवा स्वामिन्यमायया । अमन्त्रयज्ञो ह्यस्तेयं सत्यं गोविप्ररक्षणम् ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

śūdrasya sannatiḥ śaucaṁ sevā svāminy amāyayā amantra-yajṣo hy asteyaṁ satyaṁ go-vipra-rakṣaṇam

Synonyms

śūdrasya — of the śūdra (the fourth grade of man in society, the worker) ; sannatiḥ — obedience to the higher classes (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas ) ; śaucam — cleanliness ; sevā — service ; svāmini — to the master who maintains him ; amāyayā — without duplicity ; amantra — yajṣaḥ — performance of sacrifices simply by offering obeisances (without mantras ) ; hi — certainly ; asteyam — practicing not to steal ; satyam — truthfulness ; go — cows ; vipra — brāhmaṇas ; rakṣaṇam — protecting .

Translation

Offering obeisances to the higher sections of society [the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas], 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 brāhmaṇas — these are the symptoms of the śūdra.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Offering obeisances to the higher classes, cleanliness, freedom from duplicity, service to one's master, performing sacrifices without uttering mantras, not stealing, speaking the truth and giving protection to the cows and brāhmaṇas—these are the symptoms of the śūdra.

Purport

It is everyone’s experience that workers or servants are generally accustomed to stealing. A first-class servant is one who does not steal. Here it is recommended that a first-class śūdra must remain very clean, must not steal or speak lies, and must always render service to his master. A śūdra 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 completely pure and has been raised to the standard of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya — in other words, unless one is dvija, twice-born — the chanting of mantras will not be fruitful.