Chapter III · Śloka 35
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt |
sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||
sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||
Better is one's own duty, though imperfectly performed, than the duty of another well performed; even death in one's own duty is better, for to follow another's duty is fraught with danger.
Authenticity of path matters more than apparent excellence borrowed from another's calling; a stumbling adherence to one's own svadharma is spiritually safer than a polished imitation of someone else's. This is because one's own dharma, however imperfect, is aligned with one's inner constitution and ultimately leads to liberation.