Shloka 2:

silam kimanalam bhavet analam audaram bAdhitum
paya:prasruti pUrakam kimu na dhArakam sArasam |
ayatnamalamallakam pathi paTachcharam kachcharam
bhajanti vibudhA mudhA hyahaha kukshita: kukshita: ||

Meaning:
To satisfy (bAdhitum) hunger (analam) of the stomach (audaram), is it not (bhavet kim) sufficient (analam) to gather grains spilled in the fields (silam)? Could not (kimu na) a handful (prasruti pUrakam) of water from a well (sArasam paya:) be enough to survive (dhArakam)? Is not (ayatna malamallakam) a piece of dirty cloth (kachcharam paTachcharam) lying in the wayside (pathi) enough? Alas! (ahaha) In spite of this, these scholars (vibudhA) are praising (bhajanti hi) these kings (kukshita:) for the sake of their stomachs (kukshita:).

Here Desikan is instructing us what Smriti tells us. Manu Smriti speaks of how a Brahmin should survive - that he should be satisfied with making just enough for his and his family's survival. And yet, many of them, for the sake of food and water have descended from their level and are praising mere kings.

In this day and age, many wonder about castes and whether a person is a Brahmin by birth or not. Let us forget about that. The question is how many of us are Brahmins by action. I think pretty much all of us have become Vaishyas - bartering our wares for money. There may be one in a million or billion such as Desikan who live the true life of a Brahmin.

For a Srivaishnava, whatever the Lord makes available, he should be satisfied. To approach other beings who are similar to them (anya devatas too are jIvAtmas) for anything is destruction of their true nature (svarUpa), which is being a sesha to Him alone. Pillai Lokacharyar too says "bhagavath sEshathvaththilum anya sEshathvam kazhigaiyE pradhAnam".

It is good to reflect on Thirumazhisai Azhvar's pasuram here.

thiRambElmin kaNdIr thiruvadi than nAmam
maRandhum puRanthozhA mAndharai - iRainjchiyum
sAdhuvarAyp pOdhumingaL enRAn namanum than
thUdhuvaraik kUvich sevikku
Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi 68