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Significance of One's own duty

One's own duty, as described in Purana and Dharmashastra, emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility. It suggests that performing one’s own duty, even if done imperfectly, is superior to executing someone else's duty well. Furthermore, Dharmashastra associates one's own duty with the responsibilities assigned based on caste, reinforcing the notion that individuals should fulfill their designated roles, regardless of the quality of their performance. This highlights the value placed on personal duty within these texts.

Synonyms: Personal responsibility, Self-assigned task, Personal duty, Responsibility, Obligation, Role, Function, Task, Duty

In Finnish: Oma velvollisuus; In Dutch: De eigen plicht; In Spanish: El propio deber

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Buddhist concept of 'One's own duty'

Buddhism Books

In Buddhism, One's own duty emphasizes prioritizing personal responsibilities and obligations, highlighting the importance of self-care and self-awareness over external expectations, promoting inner growth and well-being as a foundation for contributing to others.

Significance in Theravada (major branch of Buddhism):
Theravada Books

From: Dhammapada (translated from the Pali)

(1) The responsibilities and obligations each individual has toward themselves, which must be prioritized above others.[1]

Theravada is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

Hindu concept of 'One's own duty'

Hinduism Books

In Hinduism, "One's own duty" emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's specific caste responsibilities, valuing imperfect adherence to personal duty over perfect execution of someone else's, underlining individuality and inherent roles within societal structures.

Significance in Dharmashastra (religious law):
Dharmashastra Books

From: Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi

(1) A duty that is specifically assigned to an individual based on their caste, suggesting that it should be performed, even if imperfectly.[2]

Dharmashastra contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Significance in Purana and Itihasa (epic history):
Purana Books

From: Mahabharata (English)

(1) One's own duty, even if imperfectly performed, is considered better than performing another's duty well.[3]

The Purana refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Significance in Vedanta (school of philosophy):
Vedanta Books

From: Brahma Sutras (Shankaracharya)

(1) This emphasizes the responsibilities and obligations that are specific to an individual's stage of life, regardless of how well or poorly they are executed, thus adhering to personal commitments.[4]

Vedanta refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).