त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ।यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ॥
tyājyaṃ doṣavad ity eke karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ |yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyam iti cāpare ||
- त्याज्यम् · tyājyam
- to be given up
- दोषवत् · doṣavat
- as tainted with evil, flawed
- इति · iti
- thus
- एके · eke
- some
- कर्म · karma
- action
- प्राहुः · prāhuḥ
- declare
- मनीषिणः · manīṣiṇaḥ
- thinkers, sages
- यज्ञदानतपःकर्म · yajñadānatapaḥkarma
- acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity
- न · na
- not
- त्याज्यम् · tyājyam
- to be abandoned
- अपरे · apare
- others
“Some thinkers declare that all action is tainted and should be given up; others say acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity should never be abandoned.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna honestly reports the disagreement among sages before giving his own verdict — a characteristic of the Gita's even-handed method. One school sees all action as binding and best abandoned; the other protects the purifying core of sacrifice, charity, and discipline. Verses 18.5–18.6 will give Krishna's decisive ruling.
— Reader's notes (original)