Chapter XVIII · Śloka 5
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् ।
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṃ kāryam eva tat |
yajño dānaṃ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||
yajño dānaṃ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||
Acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity should not be abandoned — they must indeed be performed; for sacrifice, charity, and austerity are purifying to the wise.
Krishna affirms that these three pillars of dharmic life cleanse the mind and should never be discarded. They are not binding when performed without attachment; they are instruments of inner purification.