Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : Chapter-18, Slokam - 5.

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Saturday. March 19, 2022. 20:30.

Chapter-18. { Moksha-sanyasa-yogam }

Slokam-5. 

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Slokam-5 :

"Yajna-dana-tapah-karma na tyajyam karyam eva tat

yajno danam tapash chaiva pavanani manishinam."

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Translation :

yajna-dana-tapah-karma  =  these  activities  such  as  yajnam, danam, tapas;

na tyajyam  =  should  not  be  renounced / given up;

tat   karyam eva    =  those  three  are  necessarily  to  be  followed;

yajno danam tapas ca  eva  =  these  yajnam,  danam, and  tapas  are;

manishinam  =  for  the  jnani-s  ( learned );

pavanani  =   ( those  three  )  help  for  inner  purification.

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Translation of Slokam :

BG 18.5: Actions based upon sacrifice, charity, and penance should never be abandoned; they must certainly be performed. Indeed, acts of sacrifice, charity, and penance are purifying even for those who are wise. Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.

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Commentary :

Lord Krishna emphasises that never under any circumstances are prescribed Vedic activities such as yagna or ritualistic propitiation and worship, tapah or penance and austerities and danam or charity to the Vaisnavas and brahmanas ever to be abdicated. 

They must be continuously performed all through the life some daily and others occasionally up until the moment of death. 

The reason for this is that prescribed Vedic activities situated purely in sattva guna or mode of goodness duly purify the performer and all involved especially those in varna asrama or the natural four divisions of society which are Vaisnava and Brahmin the spiritual class, ksatriya or royal and warrior class, vaisya or agricultural and commerce class and sudra the worker class. 

They also upgrade the general consciousness of the world in general. 

The performance of prescribed Vedic activities dissolves all impurities and eradicates the karmas or reactions to actions from past activities. 

The word manisinam means the wise, the conscientious, those whose consciousness is evolved in a spiritual sense. 

Such aspirants reflecting upon spiritual attainment throughout their lives are naturally in communion with the Supreme Lord at the moment of death.

Lord Krishna reveals His absolute conclusion by declaring that under no circumstances should prescribed Vedic activities be terminated. 

Activities such as yagna or ritualistic propitiation and worship, tapah or Vedic austerities and penance as well as danam or charity to Vaisnavas and Brahmins are sanctifying and purifying. 

They have been established at the beginning of creation to benefit all living entities and they elevate the minds of those aspirants who contemplate and meditate on the Supreme Lord.

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SUM :

Here, Sri Krishna pronounces his verdict that we should never renounce actions which elevate us and are beneficial for humankind. Such actions, if performed in the proper consciousness, do not bind us, instead they help us grow spiritually. Consider, for example, a caterpillar. In order to transform itself, it weaves a cocoon for its evolution and encages itself in it. Once it becomes a butterfly, it breaks open the cocoon and soars into the sky. Our position in the world is similar to this. Like the ugly caterpillar, we are presently attached to the world and bereft of noble qualities. As a part of our self-preparation and self-education, we need to perform actions that bring about the inner transformation we desire. Yajña (sacrifice), dān (charity), and tapa (penance) are acts that help in our spiritual evolution and growth. At times, it may seem that they are binding too, but they are like the caterpillar’s cocoon. They melt our impurities, beautify us from within, and effectually help us break through the shackles of earthly life. Hence, Shree Krishna instructs in this verse that such auspicious activities must never be abandoned. He now qualifies his statement by revealing the proper attitude with which they must be performed.

The absolute conclusion is being prepared by Lord Krishna in this slokam and the next beginning with :- To the manisinam or wise who are discriminative, prescribed Vedic activities are products of sattva guna the mode of goodness and are sanctifying and lead to purification of the mind.

To be continued  ...

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