BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:3

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:3

 

tyajyam dosa-vad ity eke

karma prahur manisinah

yajna-dana-tapah-karma

na tyajyam iti capare

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

tyajyam--must be given up; dosa-vat--as an evil; iti--thus; eke--one

group; karma--work; prahuh--they say; manisinah--great thinkers;

yajna--of sacrifice; dana--charity; tapah--and penance; karma--works;

na--never; tyajyam--are to be given up; iti--thus; ca--and;

apare--others.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Some learned men declare that all kinds of fruitive activities should

be given up as faulty, yet other sages maintain that acts of

sacrifice, charity and penance should never be abandoned.

 

PURPORT

 

There are many activities in the Vedic literature which are subjects

of contention. For instance, it is said that an animal can be killed

in a sacrifice, yet some maintain that animal killing is completely

abominable. Although animal killing in a sacrifice is recommended in

the Vedic literature, the animal is not considered to be killed. The

sacrifice is to give a new life to the animal. Sometimes the animal is

given a new animal life after being killed in the sacrifice, and

sometimes the animal is promoted immediately to the human form of

life. But there are different opinions among the sages. Some say that

animal killing should always be avoided, and others say that for a

specific sacrifice it is good. All these different opinions on

sacrificial activity are now being clarified by the Lord Himself.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.