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Chapter 18 · The Perfection of Renunciation · 78 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 18 · The Perfection of Renunciation
18.4318.45

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 18.44

Natural duties and perfection through work

कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् ।

परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म श‍ूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ॥ ४४ ॥

kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ

vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam

paricaryātmakaṁ karma

śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam

Translation

Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there are labor and service to others.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Natural Work and Service

  1. 1Farming, cow protection, and business are natural work for vaiśyas; labor and service to others are work for śūdras.
  2. 2Cow protection is included in the vaiśyas’ work, along with farming and business.
  3. 3The śūdras’ work includes both labor and serving others.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 18, The Perfection of Renunciation: natural duties and perfection through work.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 18.44 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 18 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 18.41Natural duties and perfection through workBG 18.42Natural duties and perfection through workBG 2.47Responsibility without ownership of outcomesBG 3.21Leadership by example

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.