Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 3, Verse 35: Krishna to Arjuna — Karma-Yoga
Bhagavad Gītā 3.35
श्रेयान् स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
śreyān← śreyas(13 verses)nominative masculine singular nounbetter, superior; the higher good (vs preyas, the pleasant)attested in commentariesadvaitaप्रशस्यतरः स्वो धर्मः स्वधर्मः विगुणःviśiṣṭādvaita।स्वेन एव उपादातुं योग्यतया स्वधर्म भूते कर्मयोगे वर्तमानस्य एकस्मिन् जन्मनि अप्राप्तफलतया निधनम् अपि श्रेयः अनन्तरायहततdvaitaइत्यस्य सङ्गतिमाह तथापी तिadvaita-bhaktiप्रशस्यतरः स्वधर्मः यं वर्णमाश्रमं प्रति वा यो विहितः स sva← sva(21 verses)compound (compound member)own, self-dhar← dharma(27 verses)nominative masculine singular nounduty, law, righteousness; the principle of right action; one's own nature (sva-dharma)mo viguṇaḥ← viguṇa(2 verses)nominative masculine singular noun(vi- + guṇa: quality)attested in commentariesadvaitaअपि विगतगुणोऽपि अनुष्ठीयमानः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात् साद्गुण्येन संपादितादपिviśiṣṭādvaitaअपि अप्रमादगर्भः प्रकृतिसंसृष्टस्य दुःशकतयापरधर्मभूतात् ज्ञानयोगात् सगुणाद् para← para(58 verses)compound (compound member)highest, supreme, beyond, other-dharmāt← dharma(27 verses)ablative masculine singular nounduty, law, righteousness; the principle of right action; one's own nature (sva-dharma) svanuṣṭhitāt← anu-√ṣṭhā(2 verses)ablative masculine singular participle nounto undertake, perform (anu- + √sthā 'stand')
sva-dharme nidhanaṃ← nidhana(2 verses)nominative neuter singular noun(ni- + dhana: wealth) śreyaḥ← śreyas(13 verses)nominative neuter singular nounbetter, superior; the higher good (vs preyas, the pleasant)attested in commentariesadvaitaपरधर्मे स्थितस्य जीवितात्viśiṣṭādvaitaअनन्तरायहततया अनन्तरजन्मनिadvaita-bhaktiप्रशस्यतरं परधर्मस्य जीवितादपि para← para(58 verses)compound (compound member)highest, supreme, beyond, other-dhar← dharma(27 verses)nominative masculine singular nounduty, law, righteousness; the principle of right action; one's own nature (sva-dharma)mo bhay← bhaya(12 verses)compound (compound member)fearāvahaḥ← āvahanominative masculine singular nounbringing, conveying (ā- + √vah)
spoken
Your own duty, even done poorly, is better than another's duty done well. Better to die in your own calling than to take another's path, for that path brings danger.