Chapter 18

यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् | यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥5॥ Transliteration yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat yajño dānaṁ tapaśh chaiva pāvanāni manīṣhiṇām Word Meanings yajña—sacrifice; dāna—charity; tapaḥ—penance; karma—actions; na—never; tyājyam—should be abandoned; kāryam eva—must certainly be performed; tat—that; yajñaḥ—sacrifice; dānam—charity; tapaḥ—penance; cha—and; eva—indeed; pāvanāni—purifying; manīṣhiṇām—for the wise Translation The practice of sacrifice,…

निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविध: सम्प्रकीर्तित: ॥4॥ Transliteration niśhchayaṁ śhṛiṇu me tatra tyāge bharata-sattama tyāgo hi puruṣha-vyāghra tri-vidhaḥ samprakīrtitaḥ Word Meanings niśhchayam—conclusion; śhṛiṇu—hear; me—my; tatra—there; tyāge—about renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; bharata-sat-tama—best of the Bharatas; tyāgaḥ—renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; hi—indeed;…

त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिण: | यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ॥3॥ Transliteration tyājyaṁ doṣha-vad ity eke karma prāhur manīṣhiṇaḥ yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam iti chāpare Word Meanings tyājyam—should be given up; doṣha-vat—as evil; iti—thus; eke—some; karma—actions; prāhuḥ—declare; manīṣhiṇaḥ—the learned; yajña—sacrifice; dāna—charity; tapaḥ—penance; karma—acts; na—never; tyājyam—should be abandoned; iti—thus; cha—and; apare—others Translation Some learned persons say that action,…

श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं सन्न्यासं कवयो विदु: | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणा: ॥2॥ Transliteration śhrī-bhagavān uvācha kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vichakṣhaṇāḥ Word Meanings śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Divine Personality said; kāmyānām—desireful; karmaṇām—of actions; nyāsam—giving up; sanyāsam—renunciation of actions; kavayaḥ—the learned; viduḥ—to understand; sarva—all; karma-phala—fruits of actions; tyāgam—renunciation of desires for enjoying…

अर्जुन उवाच | सन्न्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् | त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ॥1॥ Transliteration arjuna uvācha sannyāsasya mahā-bāho tattvam ichchhāmi veditum tyāgasya cha hṛiṣhīkeśha pṛithak keśhi-niṣhūdana Word Meanings arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; sanyāsasya—of renunciation of actions; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; tattvam—the truth; ichchhāmi—I wish; veditum—to understand; tyāgasya—of renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; cha—and; hṛiṣhīkeśha—Krishna,…