Bhagavad Gita 18.5 meaningLetting go — and standing up
In simple wordsSo simple a child gets it
“Never stop helping, giving and growing. These make you better.”
What it means
“Acts of service, giving and self-discipline should not be given up — they should be done. They purify even the wise.”
The original Sanskrit
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṃ kāryameva tat yajño dānaṃ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
Translations
Literal translation
The practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity is not to be abandoned; it is surely to be undertaken. Sacrifice, charity and austerity are verily the purifiers of the wise.
Swami Gambhirananda
हिंदी अनुवाद
यज्ञ, दान और तपरूप कर्म त्याज्य नहीं है, किन्तु वह नि:सन्देह कर्तव्य है; यज्ञ, दान और तप ये मनीषियों (साधकों) को पवित्र करने वाले हैं।
Swami Tejomayananda
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Commentaries
How great teachers across 1,200 years have explained this verse.
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Keep reading · 18.6“But even these should be done without attachment and without craving for results. That is my firm and final view.”