FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.11.17

జఘన్యో నోత్తమాం వృత్తిమనాపది భజేన్నర: । ఋతే రాజన్యమాపత్సు సర్వేషామపి సర్వశ: ॥ ౧౭ ॥
jaghanyo nottamāṁ vṛttim
[jaghanyo nottamaam vrittim]
anāpadi bhajen naraḥ
[anaapadi bhajen narah]
ṛte rājanyam āpatsu
[rite raajanyam aapatsu]
sarveṣām api sarvaśaḥ
[sarveshaam api sarvashah]
jaghanyaḥ — low (person) na — not uttamām — high vṛttim — means of livelihood anāpadi — when there is no social upheaval bhajet — may accept naraḥ — a man ṛte — except rājanyam — the profession of the kṣatriyas āpatsu — at times of emergency sarveṣām — of everyone in every status of life api — certainly sarvaśaḥ — all professions or occupational duties.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jaghanyo nottamāṁ vṛttim
jaghanyaḥ
low (person)
anāpadi bhajen naraḥ
na
not
uttamām
high
vṛttim
means of livelihood
ṛte rājanyam āpatsu
anāpadi
when there is no social upheaval
bhajet
may accept
naraḥ
a man
ṛte
except
rājanyam
the profession of the kṣatriyas
āpatsu
at times of emergency
sarveṣām api sarvaśaḥ
sarveṣām
of everyone in every status of life
api
certainly
sarvaśaḥ
all professions or occupational duties.
Except in a time of emergency, lower persons should not accept the occupational duties of those who are higher. When there is such an emergency, of course, everyone but the kṣatriya may accept the means of livelihood of others.

The occupational duty of a brāhmaṇa should not be accepted by persons in lower social orders, especially vaiśyas and śūdras. For example, an occupational duty of the brāhmaṇa is to teach Vedic knowledge, but unless there is an emergency, this professional duty should not be accepted by the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas or śūdras. Even a kṣatriya cannot accept the duties of a brāhmaṇa unless there is an emergency, and then even if he does so he should not accept charity from anyone else. Sometimes brāhmaṇas protest against our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for creating brāhmaṇas from Europeans, or, in other words, from mlecchas and yavanas. This movement, however, is here supported in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brāhmaṇas. Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brāhmaṇas and take up the work of spiritual progress. The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency. Here is solid support from Nārada Muni of the movement known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Except in a time of emergency, lower persons should not accept the occupational duties of those who are higher. When there is such an emergency, everyone but the kṣatriya may accept any of the others’ occupations. This verse describes emergency situations. Those lower should not accept higher professions like teaching. The kṣatriya can also take other occupations except receiving charity.
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 11