BG - 18.47

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्।।18.47।।

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham

• śhreyān - better
• swa-dharmaḥ - one’s own prescribed occupational duty
• viguṇaḥ - imperfectly done
• para-dharmāt - than another’s dharma
• su-anuṣhṭhitāt - perfectly done
• svabhāva-niyatam - according to one’s innate nature
• karma - duty
• kurvan - by performing
• na āpnoti - does not incur
• kilbiṣham - sin

Translation

Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

Commentary