Bg. 18.47
Devanāgarī
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥ ४७ ॥
Synonyms
śreyān—better;sva-dharmaḥ—one’s own occupation;viguṇaḥ—imperfectly performed;para-dharmāt—than another’s occupation;su-anuṣṭhitāt—perfectly done;svabhāva-niyatam—prescribed according to one’s nature;karma—work;kurvan—performing;na—never;āpnoti—achieves;kilbiṣam—sinful reactions.
Translation
It is better to engage in one’s own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another’s occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature are never affected by sinful reactions.
Purport
It is better to engage in one’s own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another’s occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature are never affected by sinful reactions.
One’s occupational duty is prescribed inBhagavad-gītā.As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of abrāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyaandśūdraare prescribed according to their particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty. A man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done byśūdrasshould not artificially claim to be abrāhmaṇa,although he may have been born into abrāhmaṇafamily. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of abrāhmaṇais certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of abrāhmaṇa.For akṣatriya,or administrator, there are so many abominable things; akṣatriyahas to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes akṣatriyahas to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but akṣatriyais not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of abrāhmaṇa.
One’s occupational duty is prescribed inBhagavad-gītā.As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of abrāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyaandśūdraare prescribed according to their particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty. A man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done byśūdrasshould not artificially claim to be abrāhmaṇa,although he may have been born into abrāhmaṇafamily. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of abrāhmaṇais certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of abrāhmaṇa.For akṣatriya,or administrator, there are so many abominable things; akṣatriyahas to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes akṣatriyahas to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but akṣatriyais not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of abrāhmaṇa.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was akṣatriya.He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, “Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,” but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of abrāhmaṇa.That is not recommended. Whether one is akṣatriya,avaiśya,or aśūdradoesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Evenbrāhmaṇas,who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if akṣatriyaengaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of Yajña, or for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was akṣatriya.He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, “Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,” but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of abrāhmaṇa.That is not recommended. Whether one is akṣatriya,avaiśya,or aśūdradoesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Evenbrāhmaṇas,who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if akṣatriyaengaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of Yajña, or for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
One’s occupational duty is prescribed inBhagavad-gītā.As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of abrāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyaandśūdraare prescribed according to their particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty. A man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done byśūdrasshould not artificially claim to be abrāhmaṇa,although he may have been born into abrāhmaṇafamily. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of abrāhmaṇais certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of abrāhmaṇa.For akṣatriya,or administrator, there are so many abominable things; akṣatriyahas to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes akṣatriyahas to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but akṣatriyais not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of abrāhmaṇa.
One’s occupational duty is prescribed inBhagavad-gītā.As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of abrāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyaandśūdraare prescribed according to their particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty. A man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done byśūdrasshould not artificially claim to be abrāhmaṇa,although he may have been born into abrāhmaṇafamily. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of abrāhmaṇais certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of abrāhmaṇa.For akṣatriya,or administrator, there are so many abominable things; akṣatriyahas to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes akṣatriyahas to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but akṣatriyais not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of abrāhmaṇa.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was akṣatriya.He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, “Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,” but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of abrāhmaṇa.That is not recommended. Whether one is akṣatriya,avaiśya,or aśūdradoesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Evenbrāhmaṇas,who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if akṣatriyaengaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of Yajña, or for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was akṣatriya.He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, “Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,” but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of abrāhmaṇa.That is not recommended. Whether one is akṣatriya,avaiśya,or aśūdradoesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Evenbrāhmaṇas,who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if akṣatriyaengaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of Yajña, or for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.