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श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।3.35।।

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 3, Verse 35
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
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.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: it's better to do your own duty imperfectly than another's duty perfectly, even dying in your own duty is better than the danger of another's.

In life: chasing someone else's path because it looks more successful or admirable, while ignoring your own, usually ends worse than doing your own path honestly, even with flaws.

Teaching: stop benchmarking your path against someone else's different one, and commit more fully to doing your own, imperfections included.

śhreyānbetter
swa-dharmaḥpersonal duty
viguṇaḥtinged with faults
para-dharmātthan another’s prescribed duties
su-anuṣhṭhitātperfectly done
swa-dharmein one’s personal duties
nidhanamdeath
śhreyaḥbetter
para-dharmaḥduties prescribed for others
bhaya-āvahaḥfraught with fear

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
3.35 श्रेयान् better? स्वधर्मः ones own duty? विगुणः devoid of merit? परधर्मात् than the duty of another? स्वनुष्ठितात् than well discharged? स्वधर्मे in ones own duty? निधनम् death? श्रेयः better? परधर्मः anothers duty? भयावहः fraught with fear.Commentary It is indeed better for man to die discharging his own duty though destitute of merit than for him to live doing the duty of another though performed in a perfect manner. For the duty of another has its pitfalls. The duty of a Kshatriya is to fight in a righteous battle. Arjuna must fight. This is his duty. Even if he dies in the discharge of his own duty? it is better for him. He will go to heaven. He should not do the duty of another man. This will bring him peril. He should not stop from fighting and enter the path of renunciation. (Cf.XVIII.47).