Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.11.14
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyLivelihood Must Follow Duty and Qualification
“For a brāhmaṇa there are six occupational duties. A kṣatriya should not accept charity, but he may perform the other five of these duties. A king or kṣatriya is not allowed to levy taxes on brāhmaṇas, but he may make his livelihood by levying minimal taxes, customs duties, and penalty fines upon his other subjects.”
What the purport teaches
- A brāhmaṇa has three compulsory duties: studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity. Teaching, guiding others in worship and accepting gifts provide the necessities of life.
- A brāhmaṇa must be pure to accept charity; family birth alone is not sufficient. A kṣatriya may perform the other five duties but must not accept charity.
- A ruler may levy minimal taxes only when able to protect the lives and property of the subjects. Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be taxed.
Try this today
Identify one responsibility attached to support you receive, and fulfill it carefully today.
Ask yourself
Am I fulfilling the responsibilities that belong with the support I receive?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.