Shrimad Bhagavad-gita

by Narayana Gosvami | 2013 | 327,105 words

The Bhagavad-gita Verse 18.3, English translation, including the Vaishnava commentaries Sarartha-varsini-tika, Prakashika-vritti and Rasika-ranjana (excerpts). This is verse Verse 18.3 from the chapter 18 called “Moksha-yoga (the Yoga of Liberation)”

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.3:

त्याज्यं दोष-वद् इत्य् एके कर्म प्राहुर् मनीषिणः ।
यज्ञ-दान-तपः-कर्म न त्याज्यम् इति चापरे ॥ ३ ॥

tyājyaṃ doṣa-vad ity eke karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ |
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam iti cāpare
|| 3 ||

tyājyam–should be renounced; doṣa-vat–as a fault; iti–that; eke–some; karma–action; prāhuḥ–say; manīṣiṇaḥ–the intelligent (proponents of sāṇkhya);yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma–sacrifice, charity, austerity and action; na tyājyam–should not be given up; iti–that; ca–and; apare–other followers of mīmāṃsaka.

Some thinkers, such as the sāṅkhyavādīs[1], say that since every action is covered by fault, action should be given up. Others, like the mīmāṃsakas[2], say that acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should never be given up.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Śrī Bhagavān is again discussing varying opinions regarding renunciation, in this verse beginning with tyājyam. Some sāṅkhyāvādīs have the opinion that karma should be completely given up because it possesses faults, such as violence. Others, like the mīmāṃsakas, say that activities such as sacrifice are not to be relinquished, because they are prescribed in scripture.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sāṅkhyavādīs analyze matter and conclude that matter is the cause of creation. Therefore, their philosophy is atheistic.

[2]:

The mīmāṃsaka philosophers emphasize pious action, which they think obliges God to reciprocate. In fact, they declare this to be the path to God.

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