श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ||१८-४७||
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt . svabhāvaniyataṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||18-47||
- 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
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.