Verse 10.95 [Occupation of the Kṣatriya during Abnormal Times]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

जीवेदेतेन राजन्यः सर्वेणाप्यनयं गतः ।
न त्वेव ज्यायंसीं वृत्तिमभिमन्येत कर्हि चित् ॥ ९५ ॥

jīvedetena rājanyaḥ sarveṇāpyanayaṃ gataḥ |
na tveva jyāyaṃsīṃ vṛttimabhimanyeta karhi cit || 95 ||

The Kṣatriya, fallen in adverse circumstances, shall subsist by means of all this; but he shall never think of arrogating to himself the higher occupations.—(95)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘By means of all this.’—This indicates that the selling of the interdicted commodities also is permitted for the Kṣatriya; the meaning being that—as for the Vaiśya so far the Kṣatriya also, there is nothing that should not be sold.

But, even when renouncing his own proper occupation, ‘he shall never think of arrogating to himself the higher occupations’ of the Brāhmaṇa. That is, he should never even entertain the idea of having recourse to them.

‘Adverse circumstances’—ill-luck; that is distress; ‘fallen in adverse circumstances’—in distress.—(95)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Apararka (p. 934), which explains ‘jyāyasī vṛtti’ as the ‘functions of the Brāhmaṇa.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 10.95-96)

Nārada (1.5-8).—‘For neither of those are such occupations permitted as are either far above or far below their own rank.’

Gautama (7.26).—‘In times of distress, a Kṣatriya may follow the occupations of the Vaiśya.’

Viṣṇu (2.15).—‘In times of distress, each caste may follow the occupation of that next below it in rank.’

Vaśiṣṭha (2.23).—‘One shall never adopt the occupation of a higher caste.’