Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 5

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् ।
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥

Transliteration

yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṃ kāryameva tat .
yajño dānaṃ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ॥

Meaning

Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up; they must certainly be performed. For sacrifice, charity and austerity purify even the wise.

Word meanings

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म – acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity
न त्याज्यम् – should not be given up
कार्यम् – should be performed
एव – certainly, indeed
तत् – that
यज्ञः – sacrifice
दानम् – charity
तपः – austerity
च एव – and also
पावनानि – purifiers
मनीषिणाम् – of the wise, even for the wise

Anvaya (word order)

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यम्, तत् कार्यम् एव; यज्ञः दानं तपः च एव मनीषिणां पावनानि ।

Explanation

This verse is the first clear declaration of Krishna's own conclusion: sacrifice, charity and austerity must never be abandoned — karyam eva tat, they must certainly be done. The word eva, 'certainly', leaves no room for an alternative. The view that all action should be abandoned as defective is here refuted gently but firmly.

Krishna gives the reason himself: pavanani manishinam — they purify even the wise. The phrase is striking. It is commonly assumed that ordinary people need good works to purify themselves, but that the enlightened do not. Krishna says that even for the thoughtful and spiritually advanced, these acts are purifying: they keep the mind clean, wear down ego, and set an example for the world.

The three terms should be understood broadly. Yajna is not only an offering into fire; it is any action done in a spirit of dedication to God and to the welfare of the whole. Dana is not only giving money; it includes sharing time, knowledge, service and compassion. Tapas is not self-torture; as Chapter 17 explained, it is the disciplined restraint of body, speech and mind. Together these three purify our relationship with God, with society and with ourselves.

For Shankara these acts are means to the purification of the mind; until one is firmly established in knowledge they remain obligatory, and it is through that purification that fitness for knowledge arises. Ramanuja regards them as worship of the Lord to be continued throughout life until liberation, because they destroy the past sins that obstruct meditation. Madhva too holds that even the wise should continue them for the Lord's pleasure.

The verse is profoundly relevant today. Many imagine that spiritual growth requires withdrawing from the world and its responsibilities. The Gita says no: the road to growth runs through service, generosity and self-control. One who abandons these loses the very foundation of spiritual life.

Context

In the previous verse Krishna announced that he would give his conclusion. Here he states plainly that sacrifice, charity and austerity are always to be performed. In the next verse (18.6) he adds that even these must be done without attachment and without desire for fruit — this is his highest, settled view.

Life lesson

Never let service, generosity and self-discipline fall away from your life, however advanced you may feel. These acts keep the mind continually clean and light. Spirituality lies not in fleeing the world but in living these three values.

Key terms

Yajna: Action dedicated to God and to the welfare of all
Dana: Generous sharing of one's resources
Tapas: Discipline of body, speech and mind
Pavana: Purifying
Karya: That which ought to be done; duty