Bg. 3.35 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ ३५ ॥

Verse text

śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Synonyms

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.

Translation

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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

35. It is better to perform ones own duties even if in a faulty way, than to perform others’ duties albeit very well. Destruction in the course one’s duties is beneficial. Performing others’ duties is full of danger.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

35. It is better to perform ones own duties even if faulty than doing another’s duties perfectly. It is better to die being situated in ones own duties. Performing other’s duties is a cause of misfortune.

Purport

One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness rather than those prescribed for others. Materially, prescribed duties are duties enjoined according to one’s psychophysical condition, under the spell of the modes of material nature. Spiritual duties are as ordered by the spiritual master for the transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. But whether material or spiritual, one should stick to his prescribed duties even up to death, rather than imitate another’s prescribed duties. Duties on the spiritual platform and duties on the material platform may be different, but the principle of following the authorized direction is always good for the performer. When one is under the spell of the modes of material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for his particular situation and should not imitate others. For example, a brāhmaṇa, who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a kṣatriya, who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a kṣatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brāhmaṇa who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāhmaṇa may act as a kṣatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Viśvāmitra was originally a kṣatriya, but later on he acted as a brāhmaṇa, whereas Paraśurāma was a brāhmaṇa but later on he acted as a kṣatriya. Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one is on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the modes of material nature. At the same time, he must have a full sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In this verse the Lord answers those who desire to perform the duties of others such as non-violence, because it is easy to execute and also not independent of dharma, and because of inability to fight the battle due to attachment and repulsion. One should boldly perform one’s duties, even though they may have some slight fault. This is better than performing others’ duties even if those duties are executed well and are full of good qualities. The reason is given. Destruction in the course of performing one’s duties is better. Performing others’ duties is dangerous. The Seventh Canto of Bhāgavatam speaks of performing others’ duties, para dharma, as irreligion: vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ adharma-śākhāḥ paṣcemā dharma-jṣo ’dharmavat tyajet There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion, religious principles for which one is unfit, pretentious religion, analogical religion and cheating religion. One who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious. SB 7.15.12

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

“You have said that we should give up proclivities of desire and hatred arising from our natures, common to animals, and engage in dharma according to scripture. This tendency should disappear with purification of the heart through following the duties of dharma. Dharmas of both fighting and non-violence are stated in the scriptures. Because I cannot perform fighting devoid of desire and hatred, the dharma of non-violence with subsistence by gathering surplus grains is superior to fighting for me.” Whatever dharma is prescribed by the Vedas in terms of varṇa and āśrama, performed incompletely, lacking some elements (viguṇaḥ) is better than executing a different dharma (para dharmāt) even though it is executed completely, with all parts (su anuṣṭhitāt). For instance, the natural dharma of the brāhmaṇa is non-violence, and that of the kṣatriya is fighting. One should not execute dharma beyond the sanction of the Vedas. Doing so is like performing the functions of the eye with a different organ. Jaimini says codanā-lakṣaṇo dharmaḥ : dharma is characterized by rules. The reason why it is better is then stated. It is better to die (nidhanam) in the execution of ones own dharma. This produces the best results, because there is no loss or sin in acting imperfectly, and because in the next life one will be able to execute that dharma properly. Performing a different dharma causes misfortune for the person (bhayāvahaḥ), by creating sin, since it is prohibited in scripture. In the case of Paraśurāma and Viśvāmitra however there is no deviation from scripture. Though born in brāhmaṇa (Paraśurāma) and kṣatriya (Viśvāmitra) families respectively, they performed activities according to their particular great qualities. Even then they were criticized and fell into problems. Also Droṇa and others brahmaṇas, practicing kṣatriya dharma, were criticized many times. “I have heard that Daivarāti [Note: This is another name of King Janaka. In old age he renounced. Generally however, the kṣatriyas take vanaprastha rather than sannyāsa.] and other kṣatriyas renounced the world. Therefore why is non-violence considered the wrong dharma for me?” “By performing ones prescribed duties in the prevous āśrama, one decreases desire, until one is qualified for renunciation. The person can then practice non-violence, because it then becomes his prescribed dharma. Thus it is suitable that one who is situated in ones own dharma can later do this.”

Surrender Unto Me

One must know what his duty is and one must strict and stick to his duty. And how does one knows what his duty is? This is the great fortune of someone who has a spiritual master. And one should do one's own duty because that is his "medicine" prescribed by the physician, the sastra and the spiritual master. [ E . BEWARE OF LUST AND ANGER. Beware of lust, the soul's sinful, all‑devouring enemy. Through lust sitting in the senses, mind and intelligence, the soul's knowledge is covered. By regulating the senses and through spiritually strong intelligence, one should fix himself in his pure identity as a servant of Krsna and thereby conquer lust. (36‑42) ] Now Arjuna asks a question which is very interesting. After hearing Krsna's words the tendence is "yes, from now on I will do my duty, I will not be disturbed, I will control my aversions and attachments by guru, sastra and sadhu....and so on ". But Arjuna knows reality and how hard is to do this. So he asks, very intelligently for our sake: