Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 45

स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः । स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु

sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṃsiddhiṃ labhate naraḥ | svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṃ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu

Translation

Devoted each to his own duty, man attains perfection; how one, devoted to one's own duty, attains success, that do thou hear.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

sve

in own

sve

in own

karmaṇi

in action

abhirataḥ

engaged

saṃsiddhim

perfection

labhate

obtains

naraḥ

a man

svakarmanirataḥ

in own, in action, enjoyed

siddhim

perfection

yathā

as

vindati

finds

tat

that

śṛṇu

hear

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Each to his own duty: as ordained according to his nature. Man: he who is qualified for Karma-Yoga. Perfection (saṃsiddhi): which consists in the body and senses being qualified for the devotion of knowledge (jñāna-niṣṭha) after all their impurities have been washed away by the performance of one's own duty.