वार्ता विचित्रा शालीनयायावरशिलोञ्छनम् । विप्रवृत्तिश्चतुर्धेयं श्रेयसी चोत्तरोत्तरा ॥ १६ ॥
varta vicitra salina- yayavara-silonchanam vipra-vrttis caturdheyam sreyasi cottarottara
- varta
- the occupational means of livelihood for the vaisya (agriculture, cow protection, and trade)
- vicitra
- various types
- salina
- livelihood achieved without effort
- yayavara
- going to the field to beg for some paddy
- sila
- picking up the grains left in the field by the proprietor
- unchanam
- picking up the grains that have fallen from bags in shops
- vipra-vrttih
- the means of livelihood for the brahmanas
- caturdha
- four different kinds
- iyam
- this
- sreyasi
- better
- ca
- also
- uttara-uttara
- the latter compared to the former
As an alternative, a brahmana may also take to the vaisya’s occupational duty of agriculture, cow protection, or trade. He may depend on that which he has received without begging, he may beg in the paddy field every day, he may collect paddy left in a field by its proprietor, or he may collect food grains left here and there in the shops of grain dealers. These are four means of livelihood that may also be adopted by brahmanas. Among these four, each of them in succession is better than the one preceding it.