Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 18, verse 47 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 18.47 · Shreyansvadharmo Vigunah
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt |
svabhāvaniyataṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||
Translation
Better is one’s own dharma, even imperfectly done, than another’s dharma well performed. One who does the work determined by one’s own nature incurs no sin.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga — “Liberation through Renunciation”, which has 78 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.47 mean?
Better is one’s own dharma, even imperfectly done, than another’s dharma well performed. One who does the work determined by one’s own nature incurs no sin.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 18.47?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga (Liberation through Renunciation).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.