Bhagavad Gita BG 18.45
Chapter 18, Verse 45 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः । स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु ॥
sve sve karmaNy abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah svakarm-a-niratah siddhim yatha vindati tac chrnu
Meaning
Devoted to their own duty, each person attains perfection. How one devoted to their own work attains perfection — hear of that.
Understanding
The central principle: sve sve karmani abhiratah (devoted/absorbed in one's own duties — not another's). Samsiddhim labhate narah (a person attains total/complete perfection). This verse serves as the pivot between the varna-duty description and the next teaching about HOW svadharma leads to the Divine. The key word: abhiratah (deeply absorbed, delighting in — not merely dutiful but genuinely devoted to one's own work). Then: svakarm-a-niratah siddhim yatha vindati (how one devoted to one's own work achieves siddhi — hear of this). The next verse explains the mechanism.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| स्वे स्वे | sve sve | in one's own (each in their own) |
| अभिरतः | abhiratah | devoted to, absorbed in, delighting in |
| संसिद्धिम् | samsiddhim | complete perfection, total fulfillment |
| निरतः | niratah | devoted to, engaged in, dedicated to |
| कर्मणि | karmaṇi | duty |
| अभिरतः | abhirataḥ | engaged, devoted |
| संसिद्धिम् | saṃsiddhim | perfection |
| लभते | labhate | attains |
| नरः | naraḥ | a person |
| स्व-कर्म-निरतः | sva-karma-nirataḥ | engaged in one's own duty |
| सिद्धिम् | siddhim | perfection |
| यथा | yathā | how |
| विन्दति | vindati | attains, finds |
| तत् | tat | that |
| शृणु | śṛṇu | hear |