Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -3
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Now, the man who is urged by attachment and aversion understands the teaching of the Śāstra to be otherwise (i.e. he misunderstands it), that the duty of another may also be performed, because it is also (prescribed) duty (dharma). That is wrong:
35. Better one's own Dharma devoid of merit, than the Dharma of another well-performed. Better is death in one's own Dharma; the Dharma of another is productive of danger. Better, more praiseworthy, is the performance of one's own Dharma, though the performance might be devoid of merit, than the Dharma of another well-performed, i.e. though accomplished with excellence[1]. Better is even death in acting up to one's own Dharma, than life set in doing the Dharma of another. Why so? For, the Dharma of another is productive of danger, risk, such as (going down to) hell. Although the root-cause of evil has been referred to in the verse, "To the man thinking about objects"[2], and (here), "attachment and aversion arc his foes"[3], it has been men- tinned in disconnected contexts and without precision. Desiring to know that (cause of evil) compendiously and definitely, so that, on the cause being exactly known, he might endeavour to eradicate it— |
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