Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Bg18.22
TEXT 22
yat tu kṛtsna-vad ekasmin
kārye saktam ahaitukam
atattvārtha-vad alpaṁ ca
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
yat—that which; tu—but; kṛtsnavat—all in all; ekasmin—in one; kārye—work; saktam—attached; ahaitukam—without cause; atattva-arthavat—without reality; alpam ca—and very meager; tat—that; tāmasam—in the mode of darkness; udāhṛtam—is spoken.
TRANSLATION
And that knowledge by which one is attached to one kind of work as the all in all, without knowledge of the truth, and which is very meager, is said to be in the mode of darkness.
PURPORT
The “knowledge” of the common man is always in the mode of darkness or ignorance because every living entity in conditional life is born into the mode of ignorance. One who does not develop knowledge through the authorities or scriptural injunctions has knowledge that is limited to the body. He is not concerned about acting in terms of the directions of scripture. For him God is money, and knowledge means the satisfaction of bodily demands. Such knowledge has no connection with the Absolute Truth. It is more or less like the knowledge of the ordinary animals: the knowledge of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Such knowledge is described here as the product of the mode of darkness. In other words, knowledge concerning the spirit soul beyond this body is called knowledge in the mode of goodness, and knowledge producing many theories and doctrines by dint of mundane logic and mental speculation is the product of the mode of passion, and knowledge concerned with only keeping the body comfortable is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
Bg18.23 TEXT 23 niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣataḥ kṛtam aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam ucyate niyatam—regulative; saṅga-rahitam—without attachment; arāga-dveṣataḥ—without love or hatred; kṛtam—done; aphala-prepsunā—without fruitive result; karma—acts; yat—that which; tat—that; sāttvikam—in the mode of goodness; ucyate—is called. TRANSLATION As for actions, that action in accordance with duty, which is performed without attachment, without love or hate, by one who has renounced fruitive results, is called action in the mode of goodness. PURPORT Regulated occupational duties, as prescribed in the scriptures in terms of the different orders and divisions of society, performed without attachment or proprietary rights and therefore without any love or hatred and performed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the satisfaction of the Supreme, without self-satisfaction or self-gratification, are called actions in the mode of goodness.
Bg18.24 TEXT 24 yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛtam yat—that which; tu—but; kāma-īpsunā—with fruitive result; karma—work; sāhaṅkāreṇa—with ego; vā—or; punaḥ—again; kriyate—performed; bahula-āyāsam—with great labor; tat—that; rājasam—in the mode of passion; udāhṛtam—is said to be. TRANSLATION But action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and which is enacted from a sense of false ego, is called action in the mode of passion. Bg18.25 TEXT 25 anubandhaṁ kṣayaṁ hiṁsām anapekṣya ca pauruṣam mohād ārabhyate karma yat tat tāmasam ucyate anubandham—future bondage; kṣayam—distracted; hiṁsām—violence; anapekṣya—without consideration of consequences; ca—also; pauruṣam—distressing to others; mohāt—by illusion; ārabhyate—begun; karma—work; yat—that; tat—which; tāmasam—in the mode of ignorance; ucyate—is said to be. TRANSLATION And that action performed in ignorance and delusion without consideration of future bondage or consequences, which inflicts injury and is impractical, is said to be action in the mode of ignorance. PURPORT One has to give account of one’s actions to the state or to the agents of the Supreme Lord called the Yamadūtas. Irresponsible work is distraction because it destroys the regulative principles of scriptural injunction. It is often based on violence and is distressing to other living entities. Such irresponsible work is carried out in the light of one’s personal experience. This is called illusion. And all such illusory work is a product of the mode of ignorance.
Bg18.26 TEXT 26 mukta-saṅgo ’nahaṁ-vādī dhṛty-utsāha-samanvitaḥ siddhy-asiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate mukta-saṅgaḥ—liberated from all material association; anaham-vādī—without false ego; dhṛti-utsāha—with great enthusiasm; samanvitaḥ—qualified in that way; siddhi—perfection; asiddhyoḥ—failure; nirvikāraḥ—without change; kartā—worker; sāttvikaḥ—in the mode of goodness; ucyate—is said to be. TRANSLATION The worker who is free from all material attachments and false ego, who is enthusiastic and resolute and who is indifferent to success or failure, is a worker in the mode of goodness. PURPORT A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always transcendental to the material modes of nature. He has no expectations for the result of the work entrusted to him because he is above false ego and pride. Still, he is always enthusiastic till the completion of such work. He does not worry about the distress undertaken; he is always enthusiastic. He does not care for success or failure; he is equal both in distress or happiness. Such a worker is situated in the mode of goodness.
Bg18.27 TEXT 27 rāgī karma-phala-prepsur lubdho hiṁsātmako ’śuciḥ harṣa-śokānvitaḥ kartā rājasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ rāgī—very much attached; karma-phala—to the fruit of the work; prepsuḥ—desiring; lubdhaḥ—greedy; hiṁsā-ātmakaḥ—and always envious; aśuciḥ—unclean; harṣa-śoka-anvitaḥ—complicated, with joy and sorrow; kartā—such a worker; rājasaḥ—in the mode of passion; parikīrtitaḥ—is declared. TRANSLATION But that worker who is attached to the fruits of his labor and who passionately wants to enjoy them, who is greedy, envious and impure and moved by happiness and distress, is a worker in the mode of passion. PURPORT A person is too much attached to certain kind of work or to the result because he has too much attachment for materialism or hearth and home, wife and children. Such a person has no desire for higher elevation of life. He is simply concerned with making this world as materially comfortable as possible. He is generally very greedy, and he thinks that anything attained by him is permanent and never to be lost. Such a person is envious of others and prepared to do anything wrong for sense gratification. Therefore such a person is unclean, and he does not care whether his earning is pure or impure. He is very happy if his work is successful and very much distressed when his work is not successful. Such is a man in the mode of passion.
Bg18.28 TEXT 28 ayuktaḥ prākṛtaḥ stabdhaḥ śaṭho naiṣkṛtiko ’lasaḥ viṣādī dīrgha-sūtrī ca kartā tāmasa ucyate ayuktaḥ—without reference to the scriptural injunctions; prākṛtaḥ—materialistic; stabdhaḥ—obstinate; śaṭhaḥ—deceitful; naiṣkṛtikaḥ—expert in insulting others; alasaḥ—lazy; viṣādī—morose; dīrgha-sūtrī—procrastinating; ca—also; kartā—worker; tāmasaḥ—in the mode of ignorance; ucyate—is said to be. TRANSLATION And that worker who is always engaged in work against the injunction of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating, is a worker in the mode of ignorance. PURPORT In the scriptural injunctions we find what sort of work should be performed and what sort of work should not be performed. Those who do not care for those injunctions engage in work not to be done, and such persons are generally materialistic. They work according to the modes of nature, not according to the injunctions of the scripture. Such workers are not very gentle, and generally they are always cunning and expert in insulting others. They are very lazy; even though they have some duty, they do not do it properly, and they put it aside to be done later on. Therefore they appear to be morose. They procrastinate; anything which can be done in an hour they drag on for years. Such workers are situated in the mode of ignorance.
Bg18.29 TEXT 29 buddher bhedaṁ dhṛteś caiva guṇatas tri-vidhaṁ śṛṇu procyamānam aśeṣeṇa pṛthaktvena dhanañjaya buddheḥ—of intelligence; bhedam—differences; dhṛteḥ—of steadiness; ca—also; eva—certainly; guṇataḥ—by the modes of material nature; tri-vidham—the three kinds of; śṛṇu—just hear; procyamānam—as described by Me; aśeṣeṇa—in detail; pṛthaktvena—differently; dhanañjaya—O winner of wealth. TRANSLATION Now, O winner of wealth, please listen as I tell you in detail of the three kinds of understanding and determination according to the three modes of nature. PURPORT Now after explaining knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower, in three different divisions according to modes of material nature, the Lord is explaining the intelligence and determination of the worker in the same way.
Bg18.30 TEXT 30 pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca kāryākārye bhayābhaye bandhaṁ mokṣaṁ ca yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī pravṛttim—deserving; ca—also; nivṛttim—not deserving; kārya—work; akārye—reaction; bhaya—fearful; abhaye—fearlessness; bandham—obligation; mokṣam ca—and liberation; yā—that which; vetti—knows; buddhiḥ—understanding; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; sāttvikī—in the mode of goodness. TRANSLATION O son of Pṛthā, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, that understanding is established in the mode of goodness. PURPORT Actions which are performed in terms of the directions of the scriptures are called pravṛtti, or actions that deserve to be performed, and actions which are not so directed are not to be performed. One who does not know the scriptural directions becomes entangled in the actions and reactions of work. Understanding which discriminates by intelligence is situated in the mode of goodness.
Bg18.31 TEXT 31 yayā dharmam adharmaṁ ca kāryaṁ cākāryam eva ca ayathāvat prajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī yayā—by which; dharmam—principles of religion; adharmam ca—and irreligion; kāryam—work; ca—also; akāryam—what ought not to be done; eva—certainly; ca—also; ayathāvat—not perfectly; prajānati—knows; buddhiḥ—intelligence; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; rājasī—in the mode of passion. TRANSLATION And that understanding which cannot distinguish between the religious way of life and the irreligious, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, that imperfect understanding, O son of Pṛthā, is in the mode of passion. PURPORT Intelligence in the mode of passion is always working perversely. It accepts religions which are not actually religions and rejects actual religion. All views and activities are misguided. Men of passionate intelligence understand a great soul to be a common man and accept a common man as a great soul. They think truth to be untruth and accept untruth as truth. In all activities they simply take the wrong path; therefore their intelligence is in the mode of passion.
Bg18.32 TEXT 32 adharmaṁ dharmam iti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā sarvārthān viparītāṁś ca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī adharmam—irreligion; dharmam—religion; iti—thus; yā—which; manyate—thinks; tamasā—by illusion; āvṛtā—covered; sarva-arthān—all things; viparītān—the wrong direction; ca—also; buddhiḥ—intelligence; sa—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; tāmasī—the mode of ignorance. TRANSLATION That understanding which considers irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion, under the spell of illusion and darkness, and strives always in the wrong direction, O Pārtha, is in the mode of ignorance. Bg18.33 TEXT 33 dhṛtyā yayā dhārayate manaḥ-prāṇendriya-kriyāḥ yogenāvyabhicāriṇyā dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī dhṛtyā—determination; yayā—by which; dhārayate—is sustained; manaḥ—mind; prāṇa—life; indriya—senses; kriyāḥ—activities; yogena—by yoga practice; avyabhicāriṇyā—without any break; dhṛtiḥ—such determination; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; sāttvikī—in the mode of goodness. TRANSLATION O son of Pṛthā, that determination which is unbreakable, which is sustained with steadfastness by yoga practice, and thus controls the mind, life, and the acts of the senses, is in the mode of goodness. PURPORT Yoga is a means to understand the Supreme Soul. One who is steadily fixed in the Supreme Soul with determination, concentrating one’s mind, life and sensual activities on the Supreme, engages in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sort of determination is in the mode of goodness. The word avyabhicāriṇya is very significant, for it refers to persons who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and are never deviated by any other activity.
Bg18.34 TEXT 34 yayā tu dharma-kāmārthān dhṛtyā dhārayate ’rjuna prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣī dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha rājasī yayā—by which; tu—but; dharma-kāma-arthān—for religiosity and economic development; dhṛtyā—by determination; dhārayate—in such terms; arjuna—O Arjuna; prasaṅgena—for that; phala-ākāṅkṣī—desiring fruitive result; dhṛtiḥ—determination; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; rājasī—in the mode of passion. TRANSLATION And that determination by which one holds fast to fruitive result in religion, economic development and sense gratification is of the nature of passion, O Arjuna. PURPORT Any person who is always desirous of fruitive results in religious or economic activities, whose only desire is sense gratification, and whose mind, life and senses are thus engaged, is in the mode of passion.
Bg18.35 TEXT 35 yayā svapnaṁ bhayaṁ śokaṁ viṣādaṁ madam eva ca na vimuñcati durmedhā dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī yayā—by which; svapnam—dream; bhayam—fearfulness; śokam—lamentation; viṣādam—moroseness; madam—illusion; eva—certainly; ca—also; na—never; vimuñcati—is liberated; durmedhāḥ—unintelligent; dhṛtiḥ—determination; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; tāmasī—in the mode of ignorance. TRANSLATION And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness, and illusion—such unintelligent determination is in the mode of darkness. PURPORT It should not be concluded that a person in the mode of goodness does not dream. Here dream means too much sleep. Dream is always present; either in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance, dream is a natural occurrence. But those who cannot avoid oversleeping, who cannot avoid the pride of enjoying material objects and who are always dreaming of lording it over the material world, whose life, mind, and senses are thus engaged, are considered to be in the mode of ignorance.
Bg18.36-37 TEXTS 36–37 sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam sukham—happiness; tu—but; idānīm—now; tri-vidham—three kinds; śṛṇu—hear; me—from Me; bharatarṣabha—O best amongst the Bhāratas; abhyāsāt—by practice; ramate—enjoyer; yatra—where; duḥkha—distress; antam—end; ca—also; nigacchati—gains; yat—that which; tat—that; agre—in the beginning; viṣam iva—like poison; pariṇāme—at the end; amṛta—nectar; upamam—compared to; tat—that; sukham—happiness; sāttvikam—in the mode of goodness; proktam—is said; ātma—self; buddhi—intelligence; prasāda-jam—satisfactory. TRANSLATION O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress. That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness. PURPORT A conditioned soul tries to enjoy material happiness again and again. Thus he chews the chewed, but, sometimes, in the course of such enjoyment, he becomes relieved from material entanglement by association with a great soul. In other words, a conditioned soul is always engaged in some type of sense gratification, but when he understands by good association that it is only a repetition of the same thing, and he is awakened to his real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is sometimes relieved from such repetitive so-called happiness.
In the pursuit of self-realization, one has to follow many rules and regulations to control the mind and the senses and to concentrate the mind on the Self. All these procedures are very difficult, bitter like poison, but if one is successful in following the regulations and comes to the transcendental position, he begins to drink real nectar, and he enjoys life.
Bg18.38 TEXT 38 viṣayendriya-saṁyogād yat tad agre ’mṛtopamam pariṇāme viṣam iva tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam viṣaya—objects of sense; indriya—senses; saṁyogāt—combination; yat—that; tat—which; agre—in the beginning; amṛta-upamam—just like nectar; pariṇāme—at the end; viṣam iva—like poison; tat—that; sukham—happiness; rājasam—in the mode of passion; smṛtam—is considered. TRANSLATION That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion. PURPORT A young man and a young woman meet, and the senses drive the young man to see her, to touch her and to have sexual intercourse. In the beginning this may be very pleasing to the senses, but at the end, or after some time, it becomes just like poison. They are separated or there is divorce, there is lamentation, there is sorrow, etc. Such happiness is always in the mode of passion. Happiness derived from a combination of the senses and the sense objects is always a cause of distress and should be avoided by all means.
Bg18.39 TEXT 39 yad agre cānubandhe ca sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam yat—that which; agre—in the beginning; ca—also; anubandhe—by binding; ca—also; sukham—happiness; mohanam—illusion; ātmanaḥ—of the self; nidrā—sleeping; ālasya—laziness; pramāda—illusion; uttham—produced of; tat—that; tāmasam—in the mode of ignorance; udāhṛtam—is said to be. TRANSLATION And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance. PURPORT One who takes pleasure in laziness and in sleep is certainly in the mode of darkness, and one who has no idea how to act and how not to act is also in the mode of ignorance. For the person in the mode of ignorance, everything is illusion. There is no happiness either in the beginning or the end. For the person in the mode of passion there might be some kind of ephemeral happiness in the beginning and at the end distress, but for the person in the mode of ignorance there is only distress both in the beginning and at the end.
Bg18.40 TEXT 40 na tad asti pṛthivyāṁ vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥ sattvaṁ prakṛti-jair muktaṁ yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ na—not; tat—that; asti—there is; pṛthivyām—within the universe; vā—or; divi—in the higher planetary system; deveṣu—amongst the demigods; vā—or; punaḥ—again; sattvam—existence; prakṛti-jaiḥ—under the influence of material nature; muktam—liberated; yat—that; ebhiḥ—by this; syāt—so becomes; tribhiḥ—by three; guṇaiḥ—modes of material nature. TRANSLATION There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from the three modes of material nature. PURPORT The Lord here summarizes the total influence of the three modes of material nature all over the universe.
Bg18.41 TEXT 41 brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśāṁ śūdrāṇāṁ ca parantapa karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ brāhmaṇa—the brāhmaṇas; kṣatriya—the kṣatriyas; viśām—the vaiśyas; śūdrāṇām—the śūdras; ca—and; parantapa—O subduer of the enemies; karmāṇi—activities; pravibhaktāni—are divided; svabhāva—own nature; prabhavaiḥ—born of; guṇaiḥ—by the modes of material nature. TRANSLATION Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are distinguished by their qualities of work, O chastiser of the enemy, in accordance with the modes of nature. Bg18.42 TEXT 42 śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam śamaḥ—peacefulness; damaḥ—self-control; tapaḥ—austerity; śaucam—purity; kṣāntiḥ—tolerance; ārjavam—honesty; eva—certainly; ca—and; jñānam—wisdom; vijñānam—knowledge; āstikyam—religiousness; brahma—of a brāhmaṇa; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature. TRANSLATION Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work. Bg18.43 TEXT 43 śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam śauryam—heroism; tejaḥ—power; dhṛtiḥ—determination; dākṣyam—resourcefulness; yuddhe—in battle; ca—and; api—also; apalāyanam—not fleeing; dānam—generosity; īśvara—leadership; bhāvaḥ—nature; ca—and kṣātram—kṣatriya; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature. TRANSLATION Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership are the qualities of work for the kṣatriyas. Bg18.44 TEXT 44 kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam kṛṣi—ploughing; go—cows; rakṣya—protection; vāṇijyam—trade; vaiśya—vaiśya; karma—duty; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature; paricaryā—service; ātmakam—nature; karma—duty; śūdrasya—of the śūdra; api—also; svabhāva-jam—born of his own nature. TRANSLATION Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others. Bg18.45 TEXT 45 sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu sve—own; sve—own; karmaṇi—in work; abhirataḥ—following; saṁsiddhim—perfection; labhate—achieves; naraḥ—a man; svakarma—by his own duty; nirataḥ—engaged; siddhim—perfection; yathā—as; vindati—attains, tat—that; śṛṇu—listen. TRANSLATION By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done. Bg18.46 TEXT 46 yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ yataḥ—from whom; pravṛttiḥ—emanation; bhūtānām—of all living entities; yena—by whom; sarvam—all; idam—this; tatam—is pervaded; svakarmaṇā—in his own duties; tam—Him; abhyarcya—by worshiping; siddhim—perfection; vindati—achieves; mānavaḥ—a man. TRANSLATION By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection. PURPORT As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all living beings are fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. As such, the Supreme Lord is the beginning of all living entities. This is confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra—janmādy asya yataḥ. The Supreme Lord is therefore the beginning of life of every living entity. And the Supreme Lord, by His two energies, His external energy and internal energy, is all-pervading. Therefore one should worship the Supreme Lord with His energies. Generally the Vaiṣṇava devotees worship the Supreme Lord with His internal energy. His external energy is a perverted reflection of the internal energy. The external energy is a background, but the Supreme Lord by the expansion of His plenary portion as Paramātmā is situated everywhere. He is the Supersoul of all demigods, all human beings, all animals, everywhere. One should therefore know that as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord it is his duty to render service unto the Supreme. Everyone should be engaged in devotional service to the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is recommended in this verse.
Everyone should think that he is engaged in a particular type of occupation by Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. And, by the result of the work in which one is engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes fully aware of everything. That is the perfection of life. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā, teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā. The Supreme Lord Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee. That is the highest perfection of life. In whatever occupation one may be engaged, if he serves the Supreme Lord, he will achieve the highest perfection.
Bg18.47 TEXT 47 śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam sreyān—better; sva-dharmaḥ—one’s own occupation; viguṇaḥ—imperfectly performed; para-dharmāt—another’s occupation; svanuṣṭhitāt—perfectly done; svabhāva-niyatam—prescribed duties according to one’s nature; karma—work; kurvan—performing; na—never; āpnoti—achieve; kilbiṣam—sinful reactions. 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. Prescribed duties, according to one’s nature, are never affected by sinful reactions. PURPORT One’s occupational duty is prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā. As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra are prescribed according to the particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty. Aman who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done by śūdras should not artificially claim himself to be a brāhmaṇa, although he may be born into a brāhmaṇa 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 brāhmaṇa 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 brāhmaṇa. For a kṣatriya, or administrator, there are so many abominable things; a kṣatriya has to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes a kṣatriya has to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but a kṣatriya is not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of a brāhmaṇa.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, 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 brāhmaṇa. That is not recommended. Whether one is a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, or a śūdra doesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even brāhmaṇas, who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if a kṣatriya 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 yajña, or for Viṣṇu, 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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