न भूम्या कार्यमस्माकं न हि शक्ताः स्म पालने।
रताः स्वाध्यायकरणे वयं नित्यं हि भूमिप।
निष्क्रयं किञ्चिदेवेह प्रयच्छतु भवानिति॥
na bhūmyā kāryam asmākaṁ na hi śaktāḥ sma pālane
ratāḥ svādhyāya-karaṇe vayaṁ nityaṁ hi bhūmipa
niṣkrayaṁ kiñcid eveha prayacchatu bhavān iti
na = nothing; bhūmyā = with land; kāryam = to do; asmākam = we have; na hi = nor; śaktāḥ sma = are we capable of; pālane = maintaining it; ratāḥ = absorbed; svādhyāya-karaṇe = in Vedic studies; vayam = we; nityam = are always; hi = indeed; bhūmipa = O maintainer of the earth; niṣkrayam = of value; kiñcit eva = something; iha = in this regard; prayacchatu = can give; bhavan iti = you.
We have nothing to do with land, nor are we capable of maintaining it. Indeed, O maintainer of the earth, we are always absorbed in Vedic studies. You can give something of value in this regard.
Why are the priests incapable of maintaining the land? That is noted in the second line: They are always absorbed in Vedic studies. “What is valuable on earth? Give a little bit of that, that is, give as much as is appropriate for us.” These were their thoughts.