Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 47

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||

śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ

One's own duty, even if imperfect, is better than another's duty well-performed. Death in one's own duty is better; another's duty is fearful.

Krishna emphasizes the importance of one's own duty. 'Śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt'—one's own duty (svadharmaḥ), even if imperfect (viguṇaḥ), is better (śreyān) than another's duty (paradharmāt) well-performed (svanuṣṭhitāt). 'Svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ'—death (nidhanam) in one's own duty (svadharme) is better (śreyaḥ); another's duty (paradharmaḥ) is fearful (bhayāvahaḥ). This is the key teaching: your own duty, even if done imperfectly, is better than someone else's duty done perfectly. It's better to die doing your own duty than to do someone else's duty. This emphasizes that duty is not about perfection—it's about alignment with your nature. When you do someone else's duty, even if you do it well, it creates fear and bondage because it's not aligned with your nature.