Bhagavad Gita 3.35
Krishna to Arjunaश्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ ३५ ॥
Transliteration
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥpara-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitātsva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥpara-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
One’s own duty, even imperfectly carried out, is better than another’s well performed. Death in one’s own duty is better; another’s duty brings danger.
Original King of Dwarka translationReflection inspired by Bhagavad Gita 3.35
Another person’s path may look easier because its burdens are hidden from us. The verse asks for seriousness about the responsibility actually at hand. Discernment begins with understanding that responsibility, including whom it serves, rather than borrowing the appearance of someone else’s certainty.
Source & context
Krishna speaks to Arjuna about svadharma, one’s own duty, in a battlefield and historical social-role setting. This is not simply advice to follow a personal passion, nor a modern endorsement of inherited hierarchy.