सीदन् विप्रो वणिग्वृत्त्या पण्यैरेवापदं तरेत् । खड्गेन वापदाक्रान्तो न श्ववृत्त्या कथञ्चन ॥ ४७ ॥
sīdan vipro vaṇig-vṛttyā paṇyair evāpadaṁ taret khaḍgena vāpadākrānto na śva-vṛttyā kathañcana
- sīdan
- suffering
- vipraḥ
- a brāhmaṇa
- vaṇik
- of a merchant
- vṛttyā
- by the occupation
- paṇyaiḥ
- by doing business
- eva
- indeed
- āpadam
- suffering
- taret
- should overcome
- khaḍgena
- with sword
- vā
- or
- āpadā
- by suffering
- ākrāntaḥ
- afflicted
- na
- not
- śva
- of the dog
- vṛttyā
- by the occupation
- kathañcana
- by any means
If a brāhmaṇa cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling material things. If he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a kṣatriya, taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an ordinary master.