Devanagari
त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिण: ।
यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke
karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ
yajṣa-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyam iti cāpare
Synonyms
tyājyam
—
must be given up
;
doṣa-vat
—
as an evil
;
iti
—
thus
;
eke
—
one group
;
karma
—
work
;
prāhuḥ
—
they say
;
manīṣiṇaḥ
—
great thinkers
;
yajṣa
—
of sacrifice
;
dāna
—
charity
;
tapaḥ
—
and penance
;
karma
—
works
;
na
—
never
;
tyājyam
—
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.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
3. Some learned persons say that all actions should be given up because they are all faulty. Others say that activities like sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
3. Some learned persons say that all actions should be given up because they are faulty. Others say that activities like sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up.
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.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In this verse, the Lord describes other opinions about the meaning of tyāga. The sāṅkhya philosophers (eke manīṣiṇaḥ) say that all activities described in the scripture, because of being defective by inclusion of violence or other bad qualities, should be given up completely. On the other hand, the Mīmāṁsakas (apare) say that activities such as sacrifice cannot be given up because they are prescribed by the scriptures.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In this verse the Lord states differing opinions about tyāga. The followers of sāṅkhya philosophy of Kapila say that actions should be completely given up (tyagyam), since by their very nature actions breed violence to other creatures. They quote the śruti statement mā hiṁsyāt sarva-bhūtāni: do not commit violence against any living entity. [Note: This is also quoted by Śrīdhara in his commentary on this verse. It also is quoted in the 2.19 by Rāmānuja, as well as in their Vedānta Sūtra commentaries on 3.1.25. Source is not given in all these cases. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.15 has a similar statement: ahiṁsa sarva bhūtāni] The śrutis say that violence is integral to the sacrifice. agnīṣomīyaṁ paśum ālabhet: one should obtain an animal for the sacrifice. (Taittirīya Saṁhita 6.1.11.6) Therefore one should give up all these actions as being causes of impurity. Also there is the possiblility of violence in procuring the ingredients of sacrifice. They say that all prescribed duties should be given up.
Others, the followers of Jaimini, say that actions such as sacrifice should never be given up, because one incurs no sin from performing what is prescribed in the Vedas. Even if there is violence in the actions, there is not fault because it is following the principles of dharma according to the Vedas. They must be performed. The injunction of nonviolence stated in the Vedas is a general rule, and speaks of incurring sin for actions other than sacrifice. The sacrifice cannot at all be criticized.
Surrender Unto Me
What kind of lerned men declare that? Those who follow the sankhya philosophy and the followers of jnana‑yoga which are almost the same. All fruitive activities should be given up as faulty because those who are engaged in karma‑kanda activities they are engaged in sacrifices and maybe they have to kill animals and things like that...; so there are faults in these things, therefore they should be given up.
"Yet other sages... (here is the third opinion), maintain that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should never be abandoned." This is the opinion of the karma‑mimansas, they say: 'don't give up sacrifice, charity and penance.' What is the question of, they say, of being faulty or violent ‑ they are Vedic. They just follow the Vedic formulas, the sastras, we should never give up these things.
After hearing these three opinions, Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will give His own opinion.