Chapter 18 · Verse 5 · Moksha Sanyaas Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 18.5
Sanskrit
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्।यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम्।।18.5।।
Transliteration
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat yajño dānaṁ tapaśh chaiva pāvanāni manīṣhiṇām
In plain words
You may believe that stepping back, withdrawing, refusing to act—that's the spiritual path. But Krishna says: the wise don't run from their responsibilities; they transform them. Every act of service, every gift, every discipline you undertake with a sincere heart becomes purifying fire that burns away the shame, the regret, the grip of ego that's suffocating you. You don't escape by hiding—you heal by showing up, without needing the world to prove you were right.
Word by Word
Lord Krishna dissolves the false renunciation that abandons action itself—the wise do not flee from sacrifice, charity, and discipline, but transform them into pathways of purification. These three sacred fires burn away the ego's attachments and reveal the Self that was never bound.
When you act with this understanding, every gift given, every ritual performed, every austerity undertaken becomes an offering that liberates rather than entangles you.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 18.5 — BG 18.5
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