ISKCON OF BERGEN COUNTY
in New Jersey
3.35
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ
para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ
para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
śreyān — far better; sva-dharmaḥ — one’s prescribed duties; viguṇaḥ — even faulty; para-dharmāt — than duties mentioned for others; su-anuṣṭhitāt — perfectly done; sva-dharme — in one’s prescribed duties; nidhanam — destruction; śreyaḥ — better; para-dharmaḥ — duties prescribed for others; bhaya-āvahaḥ — dangerous.
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
Synonyms
Translation
. . .
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ ३५ ॥