Verse 13
The four, and what belongs to all four· Verses 13–21
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13Brahmin, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra were born from the mouth, the arms, the thighs and the feet of the Person who is Viraj, and they are marked out by their own conduct. 14The householder's stage came from my loins, the chaste student's from my heart, the life in the forest from my chest; and renunciation stands in my head. 15The natures of men followed the birthplace of the classes and the stages: the lower were low, and the higher were high. 16Calm, restraint, austerity, cleanness, contentment, forbearance, straightness, devotion to me, pity and truth: these are the natures of a brahmin. 17Splendour, strength, firmness, bravery, patience, open-handedness, effort, steadiness, care for brahmins and lordship: these are the natures of a kshatriya.
18Belief, steadiness in giving, no pretending, the serving of brahmins, and no contentment with the heaps of wealth he has piled up: these are the natures of a vaisya. 19Waiting without guile upon the twice-born and upon cows and upon the gods, and contentment with what is got that way: these are the natures of a sudra. 20Uncleanness, untruth, stealing, unbelief, dry quarrelling, desire, anger and thirst: that is the very nature of those who live at the lowest end. 21Not harming, truth, not stealing, being free of desire and anger and greed, and working for what is dear and good to living beings: this is the dharma that belongs to all the classes.