Shreyan – best; svadharmah – self-action; vigunah – imperfectly performed; saradharmat – dharma performed by others; su anushthitat – flawlessly performed; svabhava niyatam – imposed by the nature of man; karma – action; kurvan – to do; na asnoti – does not cause; kilbisam – sin.
It is better to remain in one’s own religion, even if it is imperfect, than to accept another’s religion and perform it flawlessly. Karmas imposed according to human nature are never affected by sin.
Purport: Man’s own duty is taught in the Bhagavad-gita. As explained in the following verses, the duties of the brahmins, kshatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are prescribed according to their special qualities. One should not imitate the duties of another. A person who is naturally attracted to the kind of duties performed by the sudras should not artificially claim to be a brahmin, even though he is born in a brahmin family. In this way, a man should perform duties according to his nature. No duty is objectionable if it is done for the service of the Lord. The duties of a brahmin are certainly in the mode of goodness, but if he is not naturally in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the duties of a brahmin. A kshatriya, that is, a ruler, has many bad deeds. A Kshatriya must be tough to kill his enemies, and sometimes he may have to lie for the sake of politics. Such ferocity and hypocrisy are inherent in political affairs. However, a Kshatriya should not abandon his dharma and try to perform Brahmin rituals.
Man should work to please God. For example, Arjuma was a Kshatriya. He was hesitant to fight the other side. But if such a war is waged for the sake of Lord Krishna, there is no need to fear defeat. Even in business, sometimes a merchant has to tell many lies to make a profit. If he does not do that, there will be profit. Sometimes the merchant says, “O buyer
He says, ‘I am not making profit’,” but a man should know that a merchant cannot exist without making profit. Therefore, if a merchant says that he is not making profit, it should be considered a simple lie. But a merchant should not think that because he is in a state of death, he will give up that profession and take up the profession of a Brahmin. That is not taught. If a man serves God through his work, it does not matter whether he is a Kshatriya, a Vaishya or a Shudra. Even Brahmins who perform various types of yajnas have to sacrifice animals at some point. Because animal sacrifices are sometimes included in such works. Similarly, a Kshatriya who is established in Swadharma does not incur any sin if he kills an enemy. These matters are explained clearly and extensively in the third chapter. Every man should work only for the sake of the yajna, that is, for the god Vishnu. What is done for the sake of self-sense enjoyment is not for any bond. The essence is that every man should act according to the unique quality he has received; he should resolve to act only for the sake of serving the boon of God.
The natural karma of the Kauttiyas is the cause of all sins.
sahajam – born simultaneously; karma – action; kausteya – O Kuntipurra, sadosha – with fault; api – even though; na tyajet – should not be abandoned; sarva arammah – all efforts; hi – certainly; dosena – with fault; dhumena – with smoke; agnih – fire; iva – like; avritah – being covered.
Every effort, like a fire covered with smoke, is covered with some defect. That is why, O Kauntheya! Even if the ear, which is born from one’s nature, is full of defect, one should not abandon it.
Purport: In mortal life, all actions are contaminated by the modes of nature. Even if one is a Brahmin, one has to perform sacrifices such as animal sacrifice. Similarly, a Kshatriya, no matter how pious he may be, has to fight enemies. He cannot avoid it. Similarly, a merchant, no matter how pious he may be, has to hide his profits from time to time to continue his business.
