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

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.

hi

indeed

api

even if

iva

as

karma

duty

agniḥ

fire

dhūmena

with smoke

kaunteya

Arjun, the son of Kunti

saha-jam

born of one’s nature

na tyajet

one should not abandon

doṣheṇa

with evil

sa-doṣham

with defects

āvṛitāḥ

veiled

sarva-ārambhāḥ

all endeavors