Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 35

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||

śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Better one's own dharma, though imperfect, than another's dharma well-performed. Better to die in one's own dharma; another's dharma brings fear.

After explaining how nature guides action (3.33) and how attraction-aversion mislead us (3.34), Krishna delivers this powerful teaching: better your own dharma (svadharma) done imperfectly than another's dharma (paradharma) done perfectly. Your authentic path, even with its flaws, serves your growth. Their polished path leads you astray. The verse goes further: better to die in your own dharma than succeed in someone else's. Why so strong? Because paradharma brings fear (bhayāvahaḥ)—the anxiety of living inauthentically, misaligned with your nature.