In this verse, the word
dharma
has been used four times.
Dharma
is a word commonly used in Hinduism and Buddhism. But it is the most elusive word to translate into the English language. Terms like righteousness, good conduct, duty, noble quality, etc. only describe an aspect of its meaning.
Dharma
comes from the root word
dhṛi
, which means
ḍhāraṇ karane yogya
, or “responsibilities, duties, thoughts, and actions that are appropriate for us.” For example, the dharma of the soul is to love God. It is like the central law of our being.
The prefix
swa
means “the self.” Thus,
swa-dharma
is our personal
dharma
, which is the
dharma
applicable to our context, situation, maturity, and profession in life. This
swa-dharma
can change as our context in life changes, and as we grow spiritually. By asking Arjun to follow his
swa-dharma
, Shree Krishna is telling him to follow his profession, and not change it because someone else may be doing something else.
It is more enjoyable to be ourselves than to pretend to be someone else. The duties born of our nature can be easily performed with stability of mind. The duties of others may seem attractive from a distance and we may think of switching, but that is a risky thing to do. If they conflict with our nature, they will create disharmony in our senses, mind, and intellect. This will be detrimental for our consciousness and will hinder our progress on the spiritual path. Shree Krishna emphasizes this point dramatically by saying that it is better to die in the faithful performance of one’s duty than to be in the unnatural position of doing another’s duty.