Chapter 18 • Verse 47

Moksha Sanyasa Yoga

The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation

Sanskrit Verse

sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmat sv-anusthitat sva-bhava-niyatam karma kurvan napnoti kilbisam

Translation & Meaning

Better is one's own duty, though imperfectly performed, than the duty of another well performed. By performing duty ordained by one's own nature, one does not incur sin. This echoes the teaching of chapter three on the primacy of svadharma.

Key Teachings

  • Imperfect svadharma is superior to perfectly executed paradharma
  • One's natural duty shields one from sin even when executed imperfectly
  • Authenticity to one's own nature is the basis of dharmic living

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