• What does Svadharma mean? What is your Svadharma? What does the Holy Gita say on Svadharma? What is the importance of Svadharma in today’s world. 

We earlier shared What is SVADHARMA – getting to know Our True Nature which covered Author’s personal journey of how by discovering his Svadharma, he was able to clear the mind, accept himself for what he is and do what matched with his nature. This has made him happier. It briefly includes Sri Aurobindo’s views on Dharma.

What does word Svadharma mean?

Sva means self and Dharma means duty or righteousness. Sadhguru speaks 6 min

What is your Svadharma?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “Swadharma is that action which is in accordance with your nature. It is acting in accordance with your skills and talents, your own nature (svabhava), and that which you are responsible for (karma).”

When we behave in a manner that is against our nature it comes across as artificial. Conversely, when we act according to your nature the effort seems seamless.

Simply put, it is doing what is close to your nature. For e.g. if a child with an engineering bent of mind is forced to study medicine or finance it would be against his/her svadhava. Thus, such a child would be unhappy from within, however successful and rich the person becomes.

Which verses in the Holy Gita refer to Svadharma?

Chapter 3 verse 35 and Chapter 18 verses 41-48. Excerpts from the Holy Geeta by Gurudev Swami Chinamayananda commentary on the Holy Geeta.

Verse 35 - “Better one’s own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well-discharged. Better is death in one’s own duty; the duty of another is fraught with dear.”

Gurudev commentary- “Swadharma means the type of vasanas that one discovers in one’s own mind. To act according to one’s own taste, inborn and natural, is the only known method of living in peace and joy, in success and satisfaction.” 203

To act against one’s own vasanas would be Para-dharma and that is dangerous. If I try to be what I am not it is dangerous.

Verse 41 –“Of scholars (Brahmanas), of leaders (Kshatriyas), and of traders (Vaisyas), as also of workers (Sudras), O Parantapa, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their nature.”

Gurudev commentary- “By observing a person one can conclude to which class be belongs. Different types of duties are assigned to each of these classes of individuals depending upon their nature (swabhava), which is ordered by the proportion of the gunas (Sattiv, Tamasic, Rajasic) in the make-up of each type of inner equipment.” 

Verse 45 – “Devoted, each to his own duty, man attains Perfection. How, engaged in his own duty, he attains Perfection, listen.”

Gurudev commentary – “Each devoted to his duty, man attains perfection. By being loyal to our own level of feelings and ideas, to our own development of consciousness, we can evolve into higher states of self-unfoldment.”

Verse 46 – “From Whom is the evolution of all beings, by Whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him, with one’s own duty, man attains Perfection.”

Gurudev commentary – “When a man acts according to his ‘nature’ (Swabhava) and station-in-life (Swadharma), his vasanas get exhausted. This exhaustion of the load of vasanas and the consequent sense of joy and relief can be gained only when he learns to work and achieve in a spirit of total self-surrender.” 

Verse 47 – “Better is one’s duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well-performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.”

Gurudev commentary – “It is no use employing our minds in fields which are contrary to our nature. Everyone has a precis place in the scheme of created things. Each one has his own importance and none is to be despised, for, each can do something which the others cannot do well.”

“Everything has a purpose. Not only the good but the bad also are His manifestations and serve His purpose.” Without the Kauravas the Pandavas glory would not be possible. 

Verse 48 – “One should not abandon, O Kautenya, the duty to which one is born, though faulty; for, are not all undertaking enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke?”

Relevance of Svadharma in modern day education