श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अच्छी तरह आचरणमें लाये हुए दूसरेके धर्मसे गुणोंकी कमीवाला अपना धर्म श्रेष्ठ है । अपने धर्ममें तो मरना भी कल्याणकारक है और दूसरेका धर्म भयको देनेवाला है ॥
English
Better is one's own duty, though imperfect, than another's duty well performed. Better death in one's own duty; another's duty is dangerous.
What this verse means
Your own responsibility matters more than copying someone else's path. Even if you do it imperfectly, it is better than doing another person's role well.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen between his warrior duty and his fear of killing relatives. Krishna answers by grounding him in his own role: the right action is not the one that looks easiest or most polished, but the one that belongs to him.
Why this verse still matters
You are in a room full of people telling you what you should be: the calmer sibling, the louder leader, the easier partner. The verse cuts through the comparison and asks what is actually yours to do.
The takeaway
You can stop measuring yourself against others and return to the work that is actually yours.
Word-by-word translation
श्रेयान् (better) / स्वधर्मः (one's own duty) / विगुणः (imperfect, lacking qualities) / परधर्मात् (than another's duty) / स्वनुष्ठितात् (well performed) / स्वधर्मे (in one's own duty) / निधनम् (death) / श्रेयः (better, more auspicious) / परधर्मः (another's duty) / भयावहः (fearful, dangerous)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga — The Yoga of Action, which contains 43 verses.
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), duty (13 verses)