शूद्रकर्त्तव्यानिThe duties of the śūdra
Verse 142
दक्षः शुचिः सत्यभाषी जितनिद्रो जितेन्द्रियः । अप्रमत्तो निरालस्यः सेवावृत्तौ भवेन्नरः ॥ १४२ ॥
dakṣaḥ śuciḥ satyabhāṣī jitanidrō jitēndriyaḥ | apramattō nirālasyaḥ sēvāvṛttau bhavēnnaraḥ || 142 ||
Translation
Capable, clean, truthful, master of sleep and senses, attentive and free of sloth: so should a man be in the calling of service.
Word by word
- dakṣaḥ
- capable
- śuciḥ
- clean
- satya
- truthful
- bhāṣī
- speaking
- jita
- master of
- nidrō
- (nidraḥ) sleep
- indriyaḥ
- (indriyaḥ) and senses
- apramattō
- (apramattaḥ) attentive
- nirālasyaḥ
- free of sloth
- sēvā
- of service
- vṛttau
- in the calling
- bhavēn
- (bhavet) should be
- naraḥ
- a man
Meaning
The commentary introduces the duties of the servant, which the text gives as the śūdra's conduct. It glosses "dakṣa" as skilful in one's own tasks, "śuci" as clean, "apramatta" as attentive to one's own work, and reads verses 142 to 146 together. The virtues asked are those of any trustworthy worker.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Now he tells the duties of a servant, beginning "dakṣa…". Dakṣaḥ: skilful in his own tasks. Śuciḥ: clean. Apramattaḥ: attentive in his own work. (This explanation covers verses 142 to 146.)