BG 18.47
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam
svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam
Word-for-word meanings
sva-dharmaḥ — the performance of one’s own duty; viguṇaḥ — [even if] defective; śreyān — [is] superior; para-dharmāt — to taking up another’s duty; su-anuṣṭhitāt — [even if] performed well; na āpnoti — one does not incur; kilbiṣam — sin; kurvan — by performing; karma — the duty; svabhāva-niyatam — ordained according to one’s acquired nature.
Translation
The performance of one’s own duty, even if somehow deficient, is superior to taking up another’s duty, even if performed well. One incurs no sin by performing the duty ordained according to one’s acquired nature.