श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता

मूल श्लोकः

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।3.35।।
 

Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya

।।3.35।। श्रेयान् प्रशस्यतरः स्वो धर्मः स्वधर्मः विगुणः अपि विगतगुणोऽपि अनुष्ठीयमानः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात् साद्गुण्येन संपादितादपि। स्वधर्मे स्थितस्य निधनं मरणमपि श्रेयः परधर्मे स्थितस्य जीवितात्। कस्मात् परधर्मः भयावहः नरकादिलक्षणं भयमावहति यतः।।

यद्यपि अनर्थमूलम् ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः (गीता 2.62) इति रागद्वेषौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ इति च उक्तम् विक्षिप्तम् अनवधारितं च तदुक्तम्। तत् संक्षिप्तं निश्चितं च इदमेवेति ज्ञातुमिच्छन् अर्जुनः उवाच ज्ञाते हि तस्मिन् तदुच्छेदाय यत्नं कुर्याम् इति अर्जुन उवाच

English Translation By Swami Gambirananda

3.35 One's own duty [Customary or scripturally ordained observances of different castes and sects.-Tr.], though defective, is superior to another's duty well-performed. Death is better while engaged in one's own duty; another's duty is fraught with fear.

English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami Gambirananda

3.35 Svadharmah, one's own duty; being practised even though vigunah, defective, deficient; is sreyan, superior to, more commendable than; para-dharmat, another's duty; though svanusthitat, well-performed, meritoriously performed. Even nidhanam, death; is sreyah, better; while engaged svadharme, in one's own duty, as compared with remaining alive while engaged in somody else's duty. Why? Paradharmah, another's duty; is bhayavahah, fraught with fear, since it invites dangers such as hell etc. Although the root cause of evil was stated in, 'In the case of a person who dwells on objects' (2.62) and '৷৷৷৷.because they (attraction and repulsion) are his adversaries' (34), that was presented desultorily and vaguely. Wishing to know it briefly and definitely as, 'This is thus, to be sure', Arjuna, with the idea, 'When this indeed becomes known, I shall make effort for its eradication', said: