Shloka 18.48
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् |सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः ||१८-४८||
sahajaṃ karma kaunteya sadoṣamapi na tyajet . sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnirivāvṛtāḥ ||18-48||
Meaning
The duty that of itself falls to one's lot should not be abandoned, though it may have its defects. All acts are marred by defects, as fire is obscured by smoke.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna delivers a memorable image: just as every fire is wrapped in smoke, every undertaking carries some inherent flaw. Therefore one should not abandon sahajam karma, the work one is born to, merely because it has defects, for no work anywhere is wholly free of fault.
This is a powerful antidote to perfectionism and escapism. People often flee their duty imagining a flawless alternative exists elsewhere — but Krishna insists none does. The smoke does not negate the fire's warmth and light. Rather than fleeing imperfection, the wise accept that all action is imperfect and instead purify their inner attitude, doing their natural work faithfully despite its inevitable blemishes.
In daily life
No work is free of flaws, so do not flee your natural duty seeking some perfect alternative that does not exist.
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What does ‘धूमेन अग्निः इव आवृताः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on svadharma, in other chapters
- Verse 2.31Identify the duty that arises from your deepest nature and role, then perform it fully — hesitation at that threshold is a form of self-betrayal.
- Verse 3.8Since you cannot even sustain your body without acting, embrace your rightful duty rather than chasing the illusion of inaction.
- Verse 6.15Steady, devoted practice ripens into the supreme peace of liberation that rests in the Divine.
- Verse 12.9If the mind will not settle on God, train it through patient, repeated practice.
Swipe left for 18.49 · Mastering the self and releasing all craving brings freedom from the binding power of action.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.48
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.48, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.48, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.48 mean?
The duty that of itself falls to one's lot should not be abandoned, though it may have its defects. All acts are marred by defects, as fire is obscured by smoke. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.48 for daily life?
No work is free of flaws, so do not flee your natural duty seeking some perfect alternative that does not exist.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.48 mean?
सहजं कर्म — the duty to which one is born / innate work; कौन्तेय — O son of Kunti; सदोषम् अपि — though faulty; न त्यजेत् — one should not abandon; सर्वारम्भाः हि — for all undertakings.
Where does verse 18.48 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 48 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.49.