Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 41
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप । कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः ॥ १८.४१ ॥
brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca parantapa | karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ || 18.41 ||
O scorcher of foes, the duties of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras are apportioned according to the guṇas born of their own nature.
हे परन्तप! ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य और शूद्रों के कर्म स्वभाव से उत्पन्न गुणों के अनुसार विभक्त किए गए हैं।
O scorcher of foes, the duties of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras are distributed according to the guṇas arising from their own nature (svabhāva).
Interpretive differences arise in whether 'svabhāva' is read as individual disposition or inherited social identity. Academic readings often emphasize the text’s guṇa-based typology while noting later historical systems of jāti may not map neatly onto this idealized fourfold scheme.
FAQs
It suggests aligning work with temperament—cultivating roles that fit one’s capacities—while cautioning that misalignment can create inner conflict and reduced excellence.
The verse situates social functions within prakṛti’s guṇas; ultimate liberation still concerns knowing the Self beyond social identity and role.
After asserting the universality of the guṇas, Krishna applies the framework to a structured account of duties, leading into specific traits for each category.
Read non-prescriptively, it can inform discussions of vocational ethics and aptitude-based division of labor, while acknowledging historical contexts and later social rigidities.