Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 18: Freedom through Renunciation

Bhagavad Gita 18.47

śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt | svabhāvaniyataṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||

Better one's own duty, though imperfect, than another's duty well performed. One who does the work that their own nature prescribes incurs no fault.

Modern context

This verse repeats 3.35 almost word for word: better one's own duty imperfectly done than another's done well. The repetition at the end of the Gita shows how central the idea is. Each person has their own path, shaped by their nature. Imitating someone else's path, however impressive, leads away from one's own fulfilment. Being authentically oneself, even imperfectly, is the better way.