FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.5

यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥ ५ ॥
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
[yajna-daana-tapah-karma]
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
[na tyaajyam kaaryam eva tat]
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
[yajno daanam tapash chaiva]
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
[paavanaani maneeshinaam]
Word-for-word
yajña — of sacrifice dāna — charity tapaḥ — and penance karma — activity na — never tyājyam — to be given up kāryam — must be done eva — certainly tat — that yajñaḥ — sacrifice dānam — charity tapaḥ — penance ca — also eva — certainly pāvanāni — purifying manīṣiṇām — even for the great souls .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
yajña
of sacrifice
dāna
charity
tapaḥ
and penance
karma
activity
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
na
never
tyājyam
to be given up
kāryam
must be done
eva
certainly
tat
that
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
yajñaḥ
sacrifice
dānam
charity
tapaḥ
penance
ca
also
eva
certainly
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
pāvanāni
purifying
manīṣiṇām
even for the great souls .
Important Words
  • yajñaḥ — sacrifice
    The first of the three irreducibles. Not optional even for the manīṣī. In Kali-yuga, harināma-saṅkīrtana is yajña — the same purifying act in its current authorized form.
  • dānam — charity
    The breaking of clutching. Giving keeps a soul from calcifying into proprietorship. The renouncer who still hoards has renounced nothing.
  • tapaḥ — penance, austerity
    Voluntary heat. Fasting, vows, silence, ekādaśī — the friction that burns out the subtle film of sense-attachment.
  • pāvanāni — purifying agents
    Plural participle. These three are *agents of purification* — they act on the practitioner. They are not symbolic gestures; they actually clean the heart.
  • manīṣiṇām — even of the great thinkers
    The very class invoked in verse 3 to argue for abandoning karma. Kṛṣṇa turns the term back: even those manīṣīs themselves are still being purified by these acts. No one outgrows the bath.
Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa sides with the second school: don't abandon yajña, dāna, tapas — perform them. These three are the great purifiers even for the wise. Renunciation does not mean inactivity.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Yajña-dāna-tapas form a classical triad of dharmic action that the Gītā repeatedly endorses (cf. 17.7, 17.24-28). Note that Kṛṣṇa calls them 'pāvanāni manīṣiṇām' — purifiers even of the already-wise, not just of beginners. The verse refutes the renunciate-extreme that all karma is bondage and prepares the redefinition of true tyāga in v. 6.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यज्ञ-दान-तपः-कर्म न त्याज्यम्, तत् कार्यम् एव । यज्ञः दानं तपः च एव मनीषिणां पावनानि ।
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam, tat kāryam eva | yajñaḥ dānaṃ tapaḥ ca eva manīṣiṇāṃ pāvanāni |
The work of sacrifice, charity and austerity is not to be abandoned; it must indeed be done. Sacrifice, charity and austerity are purifiers of the thoughtful.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यज्ञ-दान-तपः-कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यम् एव तत् । यज्ञः दानं तपः च एव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṃ kāryam eva tat | yajñaḥ dānaṃ tapaḥ ca eva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यज्ञ-दान-तपः-कर्म yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma dvandva-tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. the work of yajña, dāna, tapas
न na ind. (indeclinable) negation not
त्याज्यम् tyājyam √त्यज् gerundive nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. to be abandoned
कार्यम् kāryam √कृ gerundive nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. to be done
एव eva ind. (indeclinable) emphatic indeed
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
यज्ञः yajñaḥ यज्ञ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) sacrifice
दानम् dānam दान (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) charity
तपः tapaḥ तपस् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) austerity
पावनानि pāvanāni पावन (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)n. purifiers
मनीषिणाम् manīṣiṇām मनीषिन् (adj.) gen.pl. (genitive plural)m. of the thoughtful
Purport

The yogīs should perform acts for the advancement of human society. There are many purificatory processes for advancing a human being to spiritual life. The marriage ceremony, for example, is considered to be one of these sacrifices. It is called vivāha-yajña. Should a sannyāsī, who is in the renounced order of life and who has given up his family relations, encourage the marriage ceremony? The Lord says here that any sacrifice which is meant for human welfare should never be given up. Vivāha-yajña, the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind so that it may become peaceful for spiritual advancement. For most men, this vivāha-yajña should be encouraged even by persons in the renounced order of life. Sannyāsīs should never associate with women, but that does not mean that one who is in the lower stages of life, a young man, should not accept a wife in the marriage ceremony. All prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord. Therefore, in the lower stages, they should not be given up. Similarly, charity is for the purification of the heart. If charity is given to suitable persons, as described previously, it leads one to advanced spiritual life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
5. Sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up but should be performed, since they purify even the wise.
Commentary

According to the Lord, even among kāmya-karmas (optional), those sacrifices, charities and austerities which are sattvic in nature, , should be performed without desire for results. [Note: In the second verse, sannyāsa was defined as giving up kāmya-karmas.] This is explained in this verse. Sacrifice, austerity and charity must be done, because they cause purification of the consciousness.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
5. Sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up but should be performed, since they purify the wise.
Commentary

In two verses, the Lord first states His own conviction in the matter. For the wise, the obligatory activities such as sacrifices, charity and austerity should never be given up, because they purify (pāvaṇāni)—they destroy the faults accumulated by repeated births, through the knowledge arising within them like a lotus blossoming from a root.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The acaryas mention in their explanation that: 'as a lotus stem has fibers inside, these three activities have the fiber of jnana, or knowledge, inside. Do these activities as Krsna's prescriptions and become purified in the heart and thereby you will attain knowledge.'

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Krishna’s opinion is presented – “Religious duties as opposed to worldly duties purify the heart”

Sacrifice, Charity and Penance should never be given up – they purify even the great souls
Focus of Learning

(a) Suggestion to yogis / advanced souls / sannyasis – They must perform acts for advancement of

human society

(b) Example of such purificatory processes – Marriage ceremony (Vivaha-yajna)

Purpose: To regulate the human mind so that it becomes peaceful for spiritual advancement
Attitude of sannyasi: Should never discourage one in the lower stages of life e.g. a young man to practice this yajna

(c) Another example is charity – It is for purification of heart ,especially if it is given to suitable

persons, it leads to advanced spiritual life

(a) Instruction of Bhagavad-gita (18.2)

Activities for advanced spiritual activities are not to be given up
e.g. Sacrifices for purification of one’s heart
But performance of activities for results has to be given up
e.g. Sacrifices to attain a good son or elevation to higher planets

(b) Example of subjects of contention in Vedic literatures

e.g. Animal killing in sacrifice is a subject of contention among the sages
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.5 Yajna-dana-tapah-karma, the practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity-this threefold practice; na tyajyam, is not to be abandoned; tat, it; is eva, surely; karyam, to be undertaken. Why? Yajnah, sacrifice; danam, charity; and tapah, austerity; are eva, verily; pavanani, the purifiers, the causes of sanctification; manisinam, of the wise, i.e. of those who do not seek results for themselves.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.5 Acts such as sacrifices, gifts, austerities etc., enjoined in the Vedas should not be relinished by the aspirant for release, but should be performed day after day until his death. Why? Acts like sacrifices, gifts and austerities associated with the different stations of life, are the means of purification for the wise., i.e., for those given to contemplation. Contemplation is worship. For the aspirants who perform such worship (Upasana) throughout their lives, they (sacrifices etc.) are a help to erase the previous Karmas which stand in the way of the fulfilment of such worship.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.5 See Comment under 18.11
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.5 Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.
Commentary

18.5 यज्ञदानतपःकर्म acts of sacrifice? gift and austerity? न not? त्याज्यम् should be abandoned? कार्यम् should be performed? एव indeed? तत् that? यज्ञः sacrifice? दानम् gift? तपः austerity? च and? एव indeed? पावनानि purifiers? मनीषिणाम् of the wise.Commentary Acts of sacrifice? gift and austerity purify the hearts of those who have no desire for rewards. These actions are considered obligatory and ought to be performed. Actions that are skilfully performed lose their power to bind the soul and free it from earthly bondage.Now? O Arjuna? I will explain to thee that skilful way by which actions can destroye their own effect.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.5 The practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity is not to be abandoned; it is surely to be undertaken. Sacrifice, charity and austerity are verily the purifiers of the wise.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.5 Acts of sacrifice, benevolence and austerity should not be given up but should be performed, for they purify the aspiring soul.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)
Related verses
BG 3.10 BG 4.23 BG 17.24 SB 7.11.8 SB 1.2.13 SB 4.21.35 CC Madhya 22.110 CC Ādi 7.76 CC Antya 4.99 Īśa Upaniṣad 2 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Sacrifice, charity, austerity should not be given up — they are to be performed; they purify even the great souls.
Practical Applications
  • Do not abandon sacrifice, charity, or austerity in the name of renunciation.
  • Honor them as purifiers.
  • Continue them through your life-stages.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I been tempted to abandon the three?
  • What sustained practice is calling?
Analogy

Even the seasoned monk does not stop bathing. Yajña, dāna, and tapas are the soul's daily washing — to skip them is not advancement but neglect. The fire of purification belongs to every stage of the path, not just the beginner's.

Stories
King Yudhiṣṭhira's Rājasūya

Even after the Pāṇḍavas had received Kṛṣṇa's direct association and the highest spiritual instruction, Yudhiṣṭhira did not consider himself above sacrifice. He performed the great Rājasūya yajña with full splendor — and Kṛṣṇa Himself attended and washed the feet of the guests.

The greatest of dharmic kings did not skip yajña, dāna, or tapas. These three remain pāvanāni — purifying — even for those whom one would assume to need no further purification.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 18