श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||३-३५||
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt . svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||3-35||
- śreyān
- far better
- sva-dharmaḥ
- one’s prescribed duties
- viguṇaḥ
- even faulty
- para-dharmāt
- than duties mentioned for others
- su-anuṣṭhitāt
- perfectly done
- sva-dharme
- in one’s prescribed duties
- nidhanam
- destruction
- śreyaḥ
- better
- para-dharmaḥ
- duties prescribed for others
- bhaya-āvahaḥ
- dangerous
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.