वर्तेत ब्रह्मणा विप्रो राजन्यो रक्षया भुव: । वैश्यस्तु वार्तया जीवेच्छूद्रस्तु द्विजसेवया ॥ २० ॥
varteta brahmaṇā vipro rājanyo rakṣayā bhuvaḥ vaiśyas tu vārtayā jīvec chūdras tu dvija-sevayā
- varteta
- lives
- brahmaṇā
- by the Vedas
- vipraḥ
- the brāhmaṇa
- rājanyaḥ
- the member of the ruling class
- rakṣayā
- by protection
- bhuvaḥ
- of the earth
- vaiśyaḥ
- the vaiśya
- tu
- on the other hand
- vārtayā
- by trade
- jīvet
- lives
- śūdraḥ
- the śūdra
- tu
- and
- dvija-sevayā
- by serving the twice-born brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas.
The brāhmaṇa maintains his life by studying and teaching the Vedas, the member of the royal order by protecting the earth, the vaiśya by trade, and the śūdra by serving the higher, twice-born classes.