Verse 18.5

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.5:

यज्ञ-दान-तपः-कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यम् एव तत् ।
यज्ञो दानं तपश् चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥ ५ ॥

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṃ kāryam eva tat |
yajño dānaṃ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām || 5 ||

yajña–sacrifice; dāna–charity; tapaḥ–austerity; karma–action; na tyājyam–should not be given up; kāryam eva–should be performed; tat–that; yajñaḥ–sacrifice; dānam–charity; tapaḥ–austerity; ca–and; eva–indeed; pāvanāni–purifiers (of the heart); manīṣiṇām–of the wise.

The practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up, for these activities are obligatory. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and austerity purify the hearts of even the wise.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

According to the opinion of Śrī Bhagavān, even within kāmya-karma, or selfishly motivated prescribed duties, the sattvika acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should all be performed without desiring their results. He says that the performance of sacrifice and so forth is obligatory because it purifies the heart.