18.45
Chapter 18, Verse 45
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु৷৷
svē svē karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṅsiddhiṅ labhatē naraḥ. svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṅ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu৷৷
Translation
Perfection is attained when each attends diligently to his duty. Listen and I will tell you how it is attained by him who always minds his own duty.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
स्वे in own, स्वे in own, कर्मणि to duty, अभिरतः devoted, संसिद्धिम् perfection, लभते attains, नरः a man, स्वकर्मनिरतः engaged in his own duty, सिद्धिम् perfection, यथा how, विन्दति finds, तत् that, श्रृणु hear. Commentary: This is the division of labour for which each caste is fitted according to its own nature. The duty prescribed is your sole support, and the highest service you can render to the Supreme is to carry it out wholeheartedly, without expectation of fruits, with the attitutde of dedication to the Lord. This will surely lead you to the Supreme. All the impurities of the mind will be washed away by the performance of ones own duty and you will be fit for Selfknowledge.Sve sve karmani Each devoted to his own duty in accordance with his nature (Guna) or caste. It is impossible to attain Moksha by works alone but works purify the heart and prepare the aspirant for receiving the divine light.The attitude of worshipfulness is prescribed for work
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.