यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् ।
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
यज्ञ, दान और तपरूप कर्मोंका त्याग नहीं करना चाहिये, प्रत्युत उनको तो करना ही चाहिये क्योंकि यज्ञ, दान और तप ये तीनों ही कर्म मनीषियोंको पवित्र करनेवाले हैं ॥
English
Sacrifice, giving, and disciplined effort should not be abandoned; they must be done. These three actions purify thoughtful people.
What this verse means
Sacrifice, giving, and disciplined effort should not be dropped. They are actions that purify a thoughtful person.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is still trapped between renouncing action and acting rightly. Krishna answers by naming three acts that should never be abandoned: sacrifice, giving, and disciplined effort. He is narrowing renunciation into a cleaner, truer form.
Why this verse still matters
You want to skip the donation, the difficult conversation, the morning practice. Something in you calls it optional. Krishna says these are exactly the acts that clear the mind.
The takeaway
Doing what cleanses you matters more than escaping effort.
Word-by-word translation
यज्ञ (sacrifice) / दान (giving) / तपःकर्म (discipline-action) / न (not) / त्याज्यम् (to be abandoned) / कार्यम् (to be done) / एव (indeed) / तत् (that) / यज्ञः (sacrifice) / दानम् (giving) / तपः (disciplined effort) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / पावनानि (purifying) / मनीषिणाम् (of thoughtful people)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Liberation through Renunciation, which contains 78 verses.
Explore related themes: yajna (32 verses), tapas (22 verses), renunciation (14 verses)