BG - 18.48

सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत्।सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः।।18.48।।

saha-jaṁ karma kaunteya sa-doṣham api na tyajet sarvārambhā hi doṣheṇa dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛitāḥ

• saha-jam - born of one’s nature
• karma - duty
• kaunteya - Arjun, the son of Kunti
• sa-doṣham - with defects
• api - even if
• na tyajet - one should not abandon
• sarva-ārambhāḥ - all endeavors
• hi - indeed
• doṣheṇa - with evil
• dhūmena - with smoke
• agniḥ - fire
• iva - as
• āvṛitāḥ - veiled

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.

Commentary