Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 6: The Residents of Ayodhyā
Text 1.6.17
वर्णेष्वग्र्यचतुर्थेषु देवतातिथिपूजकाः।
कृतज्ञाश्च वदान्याश्च शूरा विक्रमसंयुताः॥
varṇeṣv agrya-caturtheṣu devatātithi-pūjakāḥ
kṛta-jñāś ca vadānyāś ca śūrā vikrama-saṁyutāḥ
varṇeṣu = men of the four varṇas; agrya-caturtheṣu = headed by the brāhmaṇas; devata-atithi-pūjakāḥ = worshipped deities and honored guests; kṛtajñāḥ ca = they were grateful; vadānyāḥ = devoted to charity [9]; ca = and; śūrāḥ = heroic; vikrama-saṁyutāḥ = and endowed with prowess.
Men of the four varṇas headed by the brāhmaṇas worshipped deities and honored guests. They were grateful, devoted to charity, heroic and endowed with prowess.
[9] vadānyo dānaśauṇḍaḥ syāt (Viśva).
Śūdras worshipped deities through tāntrika mantras and honored guests by donating gold and so on. Brāhmaṇas were heroic in their Vedic studies. Their prowess was in debates.