Bhagavad Gita 18.47
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्।।
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham
Word-by-Word
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| śhreyān | śhreyān | better |
| swa-dharmaḥ | swa-dharmaḥ | one’s own prescribed occupational duty |
| viguṇaḥ | viguṇaḥ | imperfectly done |
| para-dharmāt | para-dharmāt | than another’s dharma |
| su-anuṣhṭhitāt | su-anuṣhṭhitāt | perfectly done |
| svabhāva-niyatam | svabhāva-niyatam | according to one’s innate nature |
| karma | karma | duty |
| kurvan | kurvan | by performing |
| na āpnoti | na āpnoti | does not incur |
| kilbiṣham | kilbiṣham | sin |
Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.
सम्यक् अनुष्ठित परधर्म की अपेक्षा गुणरहित स्वधर्म श्रेष्ठ है। (क्योंकि) स्वभाव से नियत किये गये कर्म को करते हुए मनुष्य पाप को नहीं प्राप्त करता।।