3.35
Chapter 3, Verse 35
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः৷৷
śrēyānsvadharmō viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt. svadharmē nidhanaṅ śrēyaḥ paradharmō bhayāvahaḥ৷৷
Translation
It is better to do thine own duty, however lacking in merit, than to do that of another, even though efficiently. It is better to die doing one's own duty, for to do the duty of another is fraught with danger.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
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).
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.