Bhagavad Gita 3.35
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
Word-by-Word
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| श्रेयान् | shreyan | better |
| स्वधर्मः | sva-dharmah | one's own duty |
| विगुणः | vigunah | imperfectly done |
| परधर्मात् | para-dharmat | than another's duty |
| स्वनुष्ठितात् | svanushthitat | well performed |
| स्वधर्मे | sva-dharme | in one's own duty |
| निधनम् | nidhanam | death |
| श्रेयः | shreyah | better |
| परधर्मः | para-dharmah | another's duty |
| भयावहः | bhayavahah | fraught with danger |
Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.
सम्यक् प्रकार से अनुष्ठित परधर्म की अपेक्षा गुणरहित स्वधर्म का पालन श्रेयष्कर है; स्वधर्म में मरण कल्याणकारक है (किन्तु) परधर्म भय को देने वाला है।।
Topics: Dharma, Ethics