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Chapter 18 · Verse 5
🪈 Krishna speaks
Illustration for Chapter 18, Verse 5

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्। यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम्॥

yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṁ kāryameva tat | yajño dānaṁ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||

Word by Word 13 words
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म
yajña sacrifice, worship dāna giving, charity tapas austerity, self-discipline kṛ to do, to act

the actions of sacrifice, giving, and self-discipline

न
na not

not

त्याज्यम्
tyaj to let go, to give up

to be given up

कार्यम्
kṛ to do, to act

must be done, ought to be performed

एव
eva indeed, only

indeed, surely (it adds emphasis)

तत्
tad that

that, those very actions

यज्ञः
yaj to worship, to offer

sacrifice, worship, the offering of what is dear

दानम्
dā to give

giving, generosity, charity

तपः
tap to burn, to glow with discipline

austerity, self-discipline

च
ca and

and

एव
eva indeed, only

indeed, surely

पावनानि
pū to purify, to make clean

purifiers, things that make one clean and bright

मनीषिणाम्
manas mind īṣ to rule, to master

of the thoughtful ones, of the wise

Now gives his first clear ruling. He says: "The actions of sacrifice, of giving, and of self-discipline must never be given up — they should always be done. For sacrifice, giving, and self-discipline are exactly the things that purify even the wise. They wash the heart clean, the way clear water washes a window until the light pours through." Far from being flaws, these good actions make a person better.

कथा

The Three Streams That Clean the Heart

From the mythological

There was once a hermitage on a mountainside where three small streams ran down from the high snows and met in a single shining pool. The young students who lived there washed their clay pots in that pool, and the water was always clear, no matter how much mud they brought to it.

One day a new student asked the old teacher, "Master, why is this pool never dirty? We rinse our dusty bowls in it every morning, yet it stays bright."

The teacher led him up the slope and showed him the three streams pouring in. "Three streams feed this pool," he said, "and they never stop. As fast as you bring mud, fresh water carries it away. The pool stays clean because it is always being washed."

He sat the boy on a warm rock. "The heart is like that pool," he said. "It gathers dust just by living — small selfishness, little angers, a hundred tiny stains. Some foolish people say, 'Then I will stop doing anything at all, so my heart gathers no dust.' But that is like covering the pool with a stone. The water below only grows stale and dark."

"What should we do instead?" asked the boy.

"Keep the three streams flowing," said the teacher, and he counted them on his fingers. "The first stream is yajña — sacrifice, the joyful offering of what is dear to you, the sacred fire the whole village gathers around. The second is dāna — giving, opening your hand to those who have less. The third is — self-discipline, the quiet inner heat that burns away laziness and greed. Let these three pour through your life every single day, and your heart, like this pool, will stay clear no matter what mud the world throws in."

On the distant battlefield, told the very same truth. "These three, sacrifice, giving, and discipline, must never be given up. They are not flaws to escape. They are the very streams that make even the wise grow purer. Do not cover the pool with a stone, Arjuna. Keep the clean water flowing."

And the boy on the mountain, dipping his bowl once more into the bright pool, finally understood why it never grew dark.

चिन्तनम्

What are some good habits — like helping, giving, or quietly working hard — that seem to make you feel cleaner and lighter inside? Why might these be worth keeping every day?