BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:47

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:47

 

sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah

para-dharmat sv-anusthitat

svabhava-niyatam karma

kurvan napnoti kilbisam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sreyan--better; sva-dharmah--one's own occupation;

vigunah--imperfectly performed; para-dharmat--than another's

occupation; su-anusthitat--perfectly done;

svabhava-niyatam--prescribed according to one's nature; karma--work;

kurvan--performing; na--never; apnoti--achieves; kilbisam--sinful

reactions.

 

TRANSLATION

 

It is better to engage in one's own occupation, even though one may

perform it imperfectly, than to accept another's occupation and

perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one's nature are

never affected by sinful reactions.

 

PURPORT

 

One's occupational duty is prescribed in Bhagavad-gita. As already

discussed in previous verses, the duties of a brahmana, ksatriya,

vaisya and sudra are prescribed according to their particular modes of

nature. One should not imitate another's duty. A man who is by nature

attracted to the kind of work done by sudras should not artificially

claim to be a brahmana, although he may have been born into a brahmana

family. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no

work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord.

The occupational duty of a brahmana is certainly in the mode of

goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he

should not imitate the occupational duty of a brahmana. For a

ksatriya, or administrator, there are so many abominable things; a

ksatriya has to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes a

ksatriya has to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and

duplicity accompany political affairs, but a ksatriya is not supposed

to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of a

brahmana.

 

One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was a

ksatriya. He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such

fighting is performed for the sake of Krsna, the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business

field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a

profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a

merchant says, "Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,"

but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist.

Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that

he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that

because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is

compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession

of a brahmana. That is not recommended. Whether one is a ksatriya, a

vaisya, or a sudra doesn't matter, if he serves, by his work, the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even brahmanas, who perform different

types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes

animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if a ksatriya

engaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin

incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and

elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of Yajna,

or for Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for

personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is

that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of

nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the

supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.