SB 11.17.47 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सीदन् विप्रो वणिग्वृत्त्या पण्यैरेवापदं तरेत् । खड्‍गेन वापदाक्रान्तो न श्ववृत्त्या कथञ्चन ॥ ४७ ॥

Verse text

sīdan vipro vaṇig-vṛttyā paṇyair evāpadaṁ taret khaḍgena vāpadākrānto na śva-vṛttyā kathaṣcana

Synonyms

sīdan — suffering ; vipraḥ — a brāhmaṇa ; vaṇik — of a merchant ; vṛttyā — by the occupation ; paṇyaiḥ — by doing business ; eva — indeed ; āpadam — suffering ; taret — should overcome ; khaḍgena — with sword ; vā — or ; āpadā — by suffering ; ākrāntaḥ — afflicted ; na — not ; śva — of the dog ; vṛttyā — by the occupation ; kathaṣcana — by any means .

Translation

If a brāhmaṇa cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling material things. If he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a kṣatriya, taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an ordinary master.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

A suffering brāhmaṇa can overcome difficulties by acting as a merchant, or in times of danger he can take up the occupation of a kṣatriyas. But he should not take an occupation of serving low persons. Occupations during calamity are described in three verses. He may engage in selling, but not selling liquor or salt or other forbidden items. In times of danger he takes up the duties of a kṣatriya. It is said that Gautama took up a sinful occupation when in danger. One may think that taking up kṣatriya duties would be superior to vaiśyas duties, but according to the Lord, vaiśya occupation is superior to the kṣatriya occupation for the brāhmaṇa because there is violence in kṣatriya duties. One should not maintain oneself by serving low persons.

Purport

Śva-vṛttyā, or “a dog’s profession,” refers to the śūdras, who cannot live without accepting a master. A destitute brāhmaṇa who is suffering intolerably may become a merchant and then a kṣatriya but may never take the position of a śūdra by working in a company or accepting a master. Although a kṣatriya is ordinarily considered more elevated than a vaiśya, the Lord here recommends that distressed brāhmaṇas first accept the vaiśya occupation, since it is not violent.