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ऋतामृताभ्यां जीवेत मृतेन प्रमृतेन वा ।
सत्यानृताभ्यामपि वा न श्ववृत्त्या कदाचन ।
ऋतमुञ्छशिलं प्रोक्तम् अमृतं यदयाचितम् ।
मृतं तु नित्ययाच्ञा स्यात् प्रमृतं कर्षणं स्मृतम् ।
सत्यानृतं च वाणिज्यं श्ववृत्तिर्नीचसेवनम् ।
वर्जयेत्तां सदा विप्रो राजन्यश्च जुगुप्सिताम् ।
सर्ववेदमयो विप्रः सर्वदेवमयो नृपः ॥ २० ॥
 
rtamrtabhyam jiveta
mrtena pramrtena va
satyanrtabhyam api va
na sva-vrttya kadacana
rtam unchasilam proktam
amrtam yad ayacitam
mrtam tu nitya-yacna syat
pramrtam karsanam smrtam
satyanrtam ca vanijyam
sva-vrttir nica-sevanam
varjayet tam sada vipro
rajanyas ca jugupsitam
sarva-vedamayo viprah
sarva-devamayo nrpah
rta-amrtabhyam-of the means of livelihood known as rta and amrta; jiveta-one may live; mrtena-by the profession of mrta; pramrtena va-or by the profession of pramrta; satyanrtabhyam api-even by the profession of satyanrta; va-or; na-never; sva-vrttya-by the profession of the dogs; kadacana-at any time; rtam-rta; unchasilam-the livelihood of collecting grains left in the field or marketplace; proktam-it is said; amrtam-the profession of amrta; yat-which; ayacitam-obtained without begging from anyone else; mrtam-the profession of mrta; tu-but; nitya-yacna-begging grains every day from the farmers; syat-should be; pramrtam-the pramrta means of livelihood; karsanam-tilling the field; smrtam-it is so remembered; satyanrtam-the occupation of satyanrta; ca-and; vanijyam-trade; sva-vrttih-the occupation of the dogs; nica-sevanam-the service of low persons (the vaisyas and sudras); varjayet-should give up; tam-that (the profession of the dogs); sada-always; viprah-the brahmana; rajanyah ca-and the ksatriya; jugupsitam-very abominable; sarva-veda-mayah-learned in all the Vedic understandings; viprah-the brahmana; sarva-deva-mayah-the embodiment of all the demigods; nrpah-the ksatriya or king.