Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3, verse 35
The well-known teaching on svadharma: one's own duty, even done imperfectly, is better than another's done well.
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श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt |svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||
It is better to follow your own dharma, even imperfectly, than to do someone else's dharma well. It is better even to die in your own dharma; another's dharma is full of danger.
दूसरे का धर्म अच्छी तरह निभाने से अपना धर्म, कमियों के साथ भी, निभाना बेहतर है। अपने धर्म में मरना भी अच्छा है; दूसरे का धर्म भय से भरा है।
परधर्म चांगल्या प्रकारे पाळण्यापेक्षा स्वधर्म, उणिवांसह का होईना, पाळणे श्रेयस्कर आहे. स्वधर्मात मरण आले तरी तेही चांगले; परधर्म भयावह आहे.
In Sanskrit, sounds at word edges merge (sandhi), so a line looks like one long word. Split it to see each word and its meaning.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
Each sense has its natural liking and disliking for its objects. Do not fall under the control of these two, for they are obstacles on one's path.
3.36अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
Arjuna said: Then what drives a person to do wrong, Krishna, even against their own will, as if pushed by force?
The Yoga of Action
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