Verse 3.35
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
Transliteration
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt |
svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear (is productive of danger).
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
Better one's own dharma, though imperfectly done, than the dharma of another well performed. Better death in one's own dharma; the dharma of another brings fear.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
This is one of the Gita's most quoted verses. Krishna says it is better to follow one's own dharma (svadharma), even imperfectly, than another's dharma done well. Dying in one's own duty is better; another's path is full of danger. In context, Arjuna is tempted to abandon the warrior's role for the life of a renunciant, which is not his own. Traditions read svadharma as the duty of one's social station, or more broadly as one's own nature and calling. Either way, the verse values authenticity over imitation.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08