Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 727

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Conclusion—The Perfection of Renunciation
Chapter 18: Verse- 47

sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmät sv-anusthität
svabhäva-niyatam karma kurvan näpnoti kilbisam[1]

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 brähmana, ksatriya, vaisya and südra 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 südras should not artificially claim to be a brähmana, although he may have been born into a brähmana 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 brähmana 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 brähmana. 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 brähmana.

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 brähmana. That is not recommended. Whether one is a ksatriya, a vaisya, or a südra 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.


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References

  1. sreyan=better; sva-dharmah=one’s own occupation; vigunah=imperfectly
    performed; para-dharmät=than another’s occupation; su-anusthität=perfectly done; svabhäva-niyatam=prescribed according to
    one’s nature; karma=work; kurvan=performing; na=never; äpnoti=achieves; kilbisam=sinful reactions.

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