Bhagavad Gita 18.48सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत्।सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः ॥
saha-jaṁ karma kaunteya sa-doṣham api na
tyajet sarvārambhā hi doṣheṇa dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛitāḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Honor your own dharma · 18.41–18.48 · Teaching
Translation
One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, just as fire is by smoke.
Hindi translation
हे कुन्तीनन्दन ! दोषयुक्त होनेपर भी सहज कर्मका त्याग नहीं करना चाहिये; क्योंकि सम्पूर्ण कर्म धुएँसे अग्निकी तरह किसी-न-किसी दोषसे युक्त हैं।
Meaning
Sahajam Born with oneself born with the birth of man.Sadosham Faculty for everything is constituted of the three Gunas.All undertakings Ones own as well as others duties.If a Vaisya or a Kshatriya does the duties of a Brahmana he will not in any way be benefited. Anothers duty brings in fear. Therefore it is not proper to perform anothers duty. It is not possible for any man who has no knowledge of the Self to relinish action totally therefore he should not abandon action.
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→
- hi
- indeed
- api
- even if
- iva
- as
- karma
- duty
- agniḥ
- fire
- dhūmena
- with smoke
- kaunteya
- Arjun, the son of Kunti
- saha-jam
- born of one’s nature
- na tyajet
- one should not abandon
- doṣheṇa
- with evil
- sa-doṣham
- with defects
- āvṛitāḥ
- veiled
- sarva-ārambhāḥ
- all endeavors
Related verses
- 18.3Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare…
- 2.33But if you will not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned your own duty and…
- 3.25As the ignorant act out of attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act without…
- 4.20Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on…