Bhagavad Gita 18.46 · Yatah Pravrittir Bhutanamयतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥
yataḥ pravṛittir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarchya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Honor your own dharma · 18.41–18.48 · Teaching
Translation
He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attains perfection.
Hindi translation
जिस परमात्मासे सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंकी उत्पत्ति होती है और जिससे यह सम्पूर्ण संसार व्याप्त है, उस परमात्माका अपने कर्मके द्वारा पूजन करके मनुष्य सिद्धिको प्राप्त हो जाता है।
Meaning
The performance by a man of his own duty is simply carrying into effect the intention of the Supreme from Whom the whole of the creation emanates. When a man worships Him, the Supreme Being, with the flowers of his action, then He is immensely pleased and being thus gratified by such worship He confers on Him, as a boon, dispassion and discrimination.Pravritti Evolution or activity it proceeds from the Lord, the Antaryamin, the Inner Ruler.Bhutanam Beings living creatures.Svakarmana With his own duty each according to his caste as described above.Man attains perfection by worshipping the Lord by performing his own duty, i.e., he becomes qualified for the dawn of Selfknowledge (for Jnana Yoga).
After Swami Sivananda
Honor your own dharma· 18.41–18.48→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 18.41Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed…
- 18.42Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as…
- 18.43Prowess, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and not fleeing from battle, generosity, and…
- 18.44Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of…
- 18.45Each person devoted to their own duty attains perfection. How they attain perfection while…
18.46He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him…
- 18.47Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well…
- 18.48One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty;…
Word-by-word→
- tam
- him
- idam
- this
- yena
- by whom
- tatam
- pervaded
- sarvam
- all
- siddhim
- perfection
- vindati
- attains
- yataḥ
- from whom
- abhyarchya
- by worshipping
- mānavaḥ
- a person
- bhūtānām
- of all living entities
- pravṛittiḥ
- have come into being
- sva-karmaṇā
- by one’s natural occupation
Read this when you feel
Related verses
- 18.21But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds as being…
- 3.9The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do…
- 6.1The Blessed Lord said: He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of…
- 4.7Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna,…