18.45 Perfection by your own work Krishna speaks
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः
स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ sansiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tach chhṛiṇu
A person reaches perfection by devotion to their own work. Hear how one who is devoted to their own work attains it.
Explanation
Perfection by devotion to your own work.
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ — each in their own.
No trade is ranked above another as a route. Whatever the classification is doing sociologically, the soteriology it is put to here is entirely flat.
Word by word
- sve sve
- respectively
- karmaṇi
- work
- abhirataḥ
- fulfilling
- sansiddhim
- perfection
- labhate
- achieve
- naraḥ
- a person
- sva-karma
- to one’s own prescribed duty
- nirataḥ
- engaged
- siddhim
- perfection
- yathā
- as
- vindati
- attains
- tat
- that
- śhṛiṇu
- hear
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