Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 44

कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् । परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्

kṛṣigaurakṣyavāṇijyaṃ vaiśyakarma svabhāvajam | paricaryātmakaṃ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāvajam

Translation

Ploughing, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaiśyas, born of nature. And of the nature of service is the duty of the Śūdra, born of nature.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

kṛṣigorakṣyavāṇijyam

ploughing, and, cow-protection, and, trade, and

vaiśyakarma

of Vaishyas, the action

svabhāvajam

own-nature-born

paricaryātmakam

service, nature, whose, that

karma

action

śūdrasya

of the Shūdra

api

also

svabhāvajam

own-nature-born

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The duties enjoined on the four castes follow from their respective natural dispositions.