18.48
Chapter 18, Verse 48
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत्। सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः৷৷
sahajaṅ karma kauntēya sadōṣamapi na tyajēt. sarvārambhā hi dōṣēṇa dhūmēnāgnirivāvṛtāḥ৷৷
Translation
The duty that of itself falls to one's lot should not be abandoned, though it may have its defects. All acts are marred by defects, as fire is obscured by smoke.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
सहजम् which is born, कर्म action, कौन्तेय O Kaunteya, सदोषम् with fault, अपि even, न not, त्यजेत् (one) should abandon, सर्वारम्भाः all undertakings, हि for, दोषेण by evil, धूमेन by smoke, अग्निः fire, इव like, आवृताः are enveloped. Commentary: Sahajam Born with oneself born with the birth of man.Sadosham Faculty for everything is constituted of the three Gunas.All undertakings Ones own as well as others duties.If a Vaisya or a Kshatriya does the duties of a Brahmana he will not in any way be benefited. Anothers duty brings in fear. Therefore it is not proper to perform anothers duty. It is not possible for any man who has no knowledge of the Self to relinish action totally therefore he should not abandon action.
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.