ksantir arjavam eva ca

jnanam vijnanam astikyam

brahma-karma svabhava-jam

śamaḥ—peacefulness; damaḥ—self-control; tapaḥ—austerity; śaucam—purity; kṣāntiḥ—tolerance; ārjavam—honesty; eva—certainly; ca—and; jñānam—wisdom; vijñānam—knowledge; āstikyam—religiousness; brahma—of a brāhmaṇa; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature.

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.

yuddhe capy apalayanam

danam isvara-bhavas ca

ksatram karma svabhava-jam

śauryam—heroism; tejaḥ—power; dhṛtiḥ—determination; dākṣyam—resourcefulness; yuddhe—in battle; ca—and; api—also; apalāyanam—not fleeing; dānam—generosity; īśvara—leadership; bhāvaḥ—nature; ca—and kṣātram-kṣatriya; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature.

Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership are the qualities of work for the kṣatriyas.

vaisya-karma svabhava-jam

paricaryatmakam karma

sudrasyapi svabhava-jam

kṛṣi—ploughing; go—cows; rakṣya—protection; vāṇijyam—trade; vaiśya-vaiśya; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature; paricaryā—service; ātmakam—nature; karma—duty; śūdrasya—of the śūdra; api—also; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature.

Farming, cattle raising and business a