श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।3.35।।
3.35 Better is ones own duty, though devoid of merit than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in ones own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear (is productive of danger).
3.35 Svadharmah, ones own duty; being practised even though vigunah, defective, deficient; is sreyan, superior to, more commendable than; para-dharmat, anothers duty; though svanusthitat, well-performed, meritoriously performed. Even nidhanam, death; is sreyah, better; while engaged svadharme, in ones own duty, as compared with remaining alive while engaged in somody elses duty. Why? Paradharmah, anothers duty; is bhayavahah, fraught with fear, since it invites dangers such as hell etc. Although the root cause of evil was stated in, In the case of a person who dwells on objects (2.62) and ৷৷৷৷.because they (attraction and repulsion) are his adversaries (34), that was presented desultorily and vaguely. Wishing to know it briefly and definitely as, This is thus, to be sure, Arjuna, with the idea, When this indeed becomes known, I shall make effort for its eradication, said:
Shreyaan swadharmo vigunah paradharmaat swanushthitaat; Swadharme nidhanam shreyah paradharmo bhayaavahah.
śhreyān—better; swa-dharmaḥ—personal duty; viguṇaḥ—tinged with faults; para-dharmāt—than another’s prescribed duties; su-anuṣhṭhitāt—perfectly done; swa-dharme—in one’s personal duties; nidhanam—death; śhreyaḥ—better; para-dharmaḥ—duties prescribed for others; bhaya-āvahaḥ—fraught with fear
