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TEXT 35 sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
SYNONYMS  sreyan--far
better; sva-dharmah--one's prescribed duties; vigunah--even
faulty; para-dharmat--from duties mentioned for others; svanusthitat--than
perfectly done; sva-dharme--in one's prescribed duties; nidhanam--destruction;
sreyah--better;
para-dharmah--duties prescribed for others;
bhaya-avahah--dangerous.
TRANSLATION It is far
better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faultily,
than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own
duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's
path is dangerous.
PURPORT One should therefore
discharge his prescribed duties in full Krsna consciousness rather than
those prescribed for others. Prescribed duties complement one's psychophysical
condition, under the spell of the modes of material nature. Spiritual duties
are as ordered by the spiritual master, for the transcendental service
of Krsna. But both materially or spiritually, one should stick to his prescribed
duties even up to death, rather than imitate another's prescribed duties.
Duties on the spiritual platform and duties on the material platform may
be different, but the principle of following the authorized direction is
always good for the performer. When one is under the spell of the modes
of material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for particular
situations and should not imitate others. For example, a brahmana,
who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a ksatriya,
who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a
ksatriya
it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate
a brahmana who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has
to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when
one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Krsna
consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction
of the bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krsna consciousness,
the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana
may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions
of the material world do not apply. For example, Visvamitra was originally
a ksatriya, but later on he acted as a
brahmana, whereas
Parasurama was a brahmana, but later on he acted as a ksatriya.
Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one is
on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the modes
of material nature. At the same time, he must have a full sense of Krsna
consciousness.
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