Shloka
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् |
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ||१८-५||Transliteration
yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṃ kāryameva tat .
yajño dānaṃ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||18-5||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
18.5. The actions of [Vedic] sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinished and they must necessarily be performed; for the men of wisdom the [Vedic sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the means of purification.
Shri Purohit Swami
18.5 Acts of sacrifice, benevolence and austerity should not be given up but should be performed, for they purify the aspiring soul.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
18.5 See Comment under 18.11
Sri Ramanuja
18.5 Acts such as sacrifices, gifts, austerities etc., enjoined in the Vedas should not be relinished by the aspirant for release, but should be performed day after day until his death.
Why?
Acts like sacrifices, gifts and austerities associated with the different stations of life, are the means of purification for the wise., i.e., for those given to contemplation. Contemplation is worship. For the aspirants who perform such worship (Upasana) throughout their lives, they (sacrifices etc.) are a help to erase the previous Karmas which stand in the way of the fulfilment of such worship.
Sri Shankaracharya
18.5 Yajna-dana-tapah-karma, the practice of sacrifice, charity and austerity-this threefold practice; na tyajyam, is not to be abandoned; tat, it; is eva, surely; karyam, to be undertaken. Why? Yajnah, sacrifice; danam, charity; and tapah, austerity; are eva, verily; pavanani, the purifiers, the causes of sanctification; manisinam, of the wise, i.e. of those who do not seek results for themselves.
Swami Adidevananda
18.5 (a) The acts of sacrifice, gifts and austerities should not be relinished; but should be performed৷৷.
(b). ৷৷.For sacrifices, gifts and austerities are the means of purification for the wise.
Swami Gambirananda
18.5 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 Sivananda
18.5 Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
18.5 यज्ञदानतपःकर्म acts of sacrifice? gift and austerity? न not? त्याज्यम् should be abandoned? कार्यम् should be performed? एव indeed? तत् that? यज्ञः sacrifice? दानम् gift? तपः austerity? च and? एव indeed? पावनानि purifiers? मनीषिणाम् of the wise.Commentary Acts of sacrifice? gift and austerity purify the hearts of those who have no desire for rewards. These actions are considered obligatory and ought to be performed. Actions that are skilfully performed lose their power to bind the soul and free it from earthly bondage.Now? O Arjuna? I will explain to thee that skilful way by which actions can destroye their own effect.