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GITĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1195
शौर्य तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् । दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्र कर्म स्वभावजम् ॥४३॥ कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् ।
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ॥४४॥ a future world-Trans.). (43) The inherently natural duty (Karma) of the Ksatriya is bravery, brilliance, courage, intentness, not running away from the battle, generosity, and exercising authority (over subject people). (44) krși (that is, agriculture) gorakşya' (that is, the business of of keeping cattle), and vanijya (that is, trade) is the inherently natural duty of the Vaisya; and in the same way, service is the inherently natural duty of the Sūdra.
[The arrangement of the four classes has come into existence as a result of the difference between the inherently natural qualities; but, it is not that this explanation has for the first time been given in the Gītā. This explanation about the difference between the qualities has, with nominal differences, appeared (i) in the conversation between Nahusa and Yudhisthira, and in the conversation between the Brahmin and the Hunter in the Vanaparva of the Mahābhārata (Vana. 180 and 211); (ii) in the conversation between Bhrgu and Bhāradvāja in the Santi-parva (Šān. 188); and (iii) in the conversation between Umā and Maheśvara in the Anuśāsanaparva (Aśva. 39. 11). It has been stated before that the various activities of the world result from the differences in the constituents of Prakrti; and it has been proved that the four-classarrangement, which determines what each of these classes has to do, is itself the result of the difference in the constituents of Prakrti. The Blessed Lord now says, that (i) all these Actions must be carried on by everybody with a desireless frame of mind, that is, with the idea of dedicating them to the Parameśvara, as otherwise, the world will not go on; that (ii) a man acquires Perfection when he conducts himself in this way; and that (iii) it is not necessary to perform any other austerity for obtaining Perfection
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