Shloka 44
भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् | परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्
kṛṣigaurakṣyavāṇijyaṃ vaiśyakarma svabhāvajam | paricaryātmakaṃ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāvajam ||
Arjuna sprach: „Ackerbau, Viehhaltung und Handel sind die natürlichen Pflichten des Vaiśya, entspringend seiner angeborenen Veranlagung. Dienst in Gestalt des Beistands und der Bedienung anderer ist ebenso die natürliche Pflicht des Śūdra, entspringend seiner angeborenen Veranlagung.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse states that different forms of work are considered appropriate when they arise from one’s innate disposition (svabhāva). It identifies agriculture, cattle-tending, and trade as the Vaiśya’s natural duties, and service/attendance as the Śūdra’s natural duty, framing social responsibility in terms of svadharma (one’s own duty).
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s instruction-setting, Arjuna speaks in a didactic mode, articulating how duties are traditionally classified by varṇa and grounded in svabhāva. The statement supports the broader ethical discussion on right action and responsibility amid the impending war.