SvaDharma definition Oxford Dictionary

Svadharma (Skt., sva, ‘own’, + dharma, ‘duty, right’). In Hinduism, one's own right, duty, or nature; one's own role in the social and cosmic order. Svadharma is relative to one's caste and stage of life (cf. varṇāśramadharma), and to one's situation (cf. āpaddharma). Svadharma or relative dharma often conflicts with sādhāraṇa dharma, universal dharma, or sanātana dharma, absolute or eternal dharma. For example, to kill is a violation of eternal dharma, yet a warrior's svadharma (own duty, nature) is to kill. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997

SvaDharama in the Bhagavad Gita

SvaDharama in the Bhagavad Gita Dharma is, of course, translated as “duty,” but svadharam is not simply the duty to perform works in the world, but the necessity of performing one’sown special God-given duty. It is not not often ead=sy to know exactly what one’s svadharma is. Is it simply to work at that occupation which brings; the greatest material gain? No. Nor is it simply the serving of others. Rather,m it is the serving of God, the Self, who is the indwelling, guiding, joy of man. No matter what a man might do in this world, no matter how respectable or charitable or unselfish, if it is not his svadharma, he will be miserable; he will feel frustrated, unfulfilled and dissatisfied. This is especially true for the sincere aspirant to Truth, for he will fee most keenly the disharmony between his spirit and his actions. It is by this a spiritual man knows his svadharma; if his soul is happy and delighted in its performance, and if the very thought of diverting from that path makes him sick at heart and despondent, he may be sure that it is his svadharma. "It is not right to leave undone the holy work which ought to be done. Such a surrender of action is a delusion of darkness. And if a man abandons his svadharma out of fear of pain, truly, he has no reward." The reward of performing the work appropriate to one’s own svadharma is the peace and joy of God. By renouncing all other concerns but the performance of the work God has ordained for you, you will feel and know His confirmation within you. "A man attains perfection when his work is worship of God, from whom all things come and who exists within everyone. And a man should not abandon his work, even if he cannot achieve perfection; because in all work there is some imperfection, as in fire there is some smoke. …It is better to perish in your own work than to flourish in another’s. Therefore, offer to Me all you works and rest your mind upon the Supreme. Be free from vain hopes and selfish thoughts, and with inner peace fight your fight." -Swami Abhayananda, The History of Mysticism: The Unchanging Testament page 61 [HOW CAN THIS BE EXPRESSED WITHOUT RESORTING TO USE OF RELIGIOUS, THEISTIC TERMS SUCH AS GOD AND HIS???]

SvaDharma: ' This above all: to thine own self be true...'

There is no single English word which embraces the concept of dharma. It is your essential nature, law, duty, path. The unifying dharma of all of us is the Atman, but each of us has an individual dharma because of our vasanas (unmanifestied desires). The tiger must hunt, the nightingale must sing, the cow must yield. Similarly, there are tigers among men, nightingales among men, cows among men. We must act according to our dharma if we are to have peace in this life. In the words of the Shakesperian character, Polonius, ' This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.' Self-realisation may be many lives away, but if we have been true to ourselves, to our own dharma, we wi die having advanced some way towards the Eternal Self." [Purport of BG 3.35 by Swami A. Parthasarathy, in The Essential Teachings of Hinduism, edited by Kerry Brown, 1988. Rider: London et al.]