मुखतो ब्राह्मणा जाता उरसः क्षत्रियास्तथा।
ऊरुभ्यां जज्ञिरे वैश्याः पद्भ्यां शूद्रा इति श्रुतिः॥
mukhato brāhmaṇā jātā urasaḥ kṣatriyās tathā
ūrubhyāṁ jajñire vaiśyāḥ padbhyāṁ śūdrā iti śrutiḥ
mukhataḥ = from the mouth; brāhmaṇāḥ = the brāhmaṇas; jātāḥ = were born; urasaḥ = from the chest; kṣatriyāḥ = the kṣatriyas; tathā = and; ūrubhyām = from the thighs; jajñire = were born; vaiśyāḥ = vaiśyas; padbhyām = were born from the feet; śūdrāḥ = the śūdras; iti śrutiḥ = this is stated in the Śruti.
The brāhmaṇas were born from the mouth and the kṣatriyas from the chest. Vaiśyas were born from the thighs, the śūdras from the feet. This is stated in the Śruti.
1 This translation is by Prabhupāda’s disciples as it appears in their purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.5.2.
2 Kaśyapa’s wife Manu-devī should be considered as a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because she was the immediate biological source of humankind and the human species is most suited for spiritual progress according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1.
NOTE. The following verse is found in the Ṛk-saṁhitā (8.4.19), Śukla-yajur Veda (34.11) and the Atharva Veda (19.66):
brāhmaṇo ’sya mukham āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ
ūrū tad asya yad vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṁ śūdro ’jāyata
“The brāhmaṇa appeared as His face, the king as His arms, the vaiśya as His thighs, and the śūdra was born from His feet.”1
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.5.2 states:
mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ
puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha
catvāro jajñire varṇā
guṇair viprādayaḥ pṛthak
“Each of the four social orders, headed by the brāhmaṇas, was born through different combinations of the modes of nature, from the face, arms, thighs and feet of the Supreme Lord in His universal form. Thus the four spiritual orders were also generated.”2