श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ||१८-४७||
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt .
svabhāvaniyataṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||18-47||
Hindi Translation
।।18.47।। 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।।
English Translation
"18.47 Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin."
Word Meanings
18.47 श्रेयान् better? स्वधर्मः ones own duty? विगुणः (though) destitute of merits? परधर्मात् that the duty of another? स्वनुष्ठितात् (than) well performed? स्वभावनियतम् ordained by his own nature? कर्म action? कुर्वन् doing? न not? आप्नोति (he) incurs? किल्बिषम् sin.Commentary Just as a poisonous substance does not harm the worm born in that substance? so he who does his Svadharma (the duty ordained according to his own nature) does not incur any sin.What is poison to the whole world is sweet to a worm and yet sugarcane juice that is sweet causes its death. So a mans appointed duty which frees him from bondage must? therefore? be practised however difficult it may seem to be. If you try to do the duty of another it will bring,danger. He who has no knowledge of the Self cannot remain even for a moment without doing action. (Cf.III.35)
Source
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Chapter
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse
18.47