Bhagavad Gita · 18.46 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·46 of 78
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥
yataḥ pravṛittir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarchya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Honor your own dharma · 18.41–18.48 · Teaching
Translation
He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attains perfection.
Meaning
The performance by a man of his own duty is simply carrying into effect the intention of the Supreme from Whom the whole of the creation emanates. When a man worships Him, the Supreme Being, with the flowers of his action, then He is immensely pleased and being thus gratified by such worship He confers on Him, as a boon, dispassion and discrimination.Pravritti Evolution or activity it proceeds from the Lord, the Antaryamin, the Inner Ruler.Bhutanam Beings living creatures.Svakarmana With his own duty each according to his caste as described above.Man attains perfection by worshipping the Lord by performing his own duty, i.e., he becomes qualified for the dawn of Selfknowledge (for Jnana Yoga).
After Swami Sivananda
Honor your own dharma· 18.41–18.48→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 18.41Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.
- 18.42Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.
- 18.43Prowess, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and not fleeing from battle, generosity, and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.
- 18.44Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of their own nature; and service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of their own nature.
- 18.45Each person devoted to their own duty attains perfection. How they attain perfection while being engaged in their own duty, hear now.
18.46He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attains perfection.
- 18.47Better 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.
- 18.48One 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.
Word-by-word→
- tam
- him
- idam
- this
- yena
- by whom
- tatam
- pervaded
- sarvam
- all
- siddhim
- perfection
- vindati
- attains
- yataḥ
- from whom
- abhyarchya
- by worshipping
- mānavaḥ
- a person
- bhūtānām
- of all living entities
- pravṛittiḥ
- have come into being
- sva-karmaṇā
- by one’s natural occupation
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