Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 18.3

tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke
karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ
yajña-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; yajña — 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.

So now Krishna is giving opinions of different people over here, eke means one kind of people and apare means another kind of people, 

tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke, that doṣa-vad, faulty, 

some people say that karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ, giving up Karama is recommended because Karma is doṣa-vad, prāhur means they say, it is interesting Krishna is saying manīṣiṇaḥ, they are not foolish people, they are also manīṣiṇaḥ, mana + isinah, mind + controller they are not ordinary people they are thoughtful people, Krishna is not saying that there thinking is correct He is acknowledging that they are thinkers, and as we will see that Krishna doesn’t support their thinking, there thinking may not be correct. 

Krishna says that even if it is doṣa-vad one should not give up karama. 

So what is important is, Krishna is recognizing those opinions that are different from what He is going to give, it is significant point here. We generally think my opinion is the only right opinion, my way highway, even in religion my god is the only way and if you are not following then you will go to hell and we will help you going there ☺. 

The spirit of honoring others opinion is referred by Krishna for those people who are going to contradict Him this is done by telling them manīṣiṇaḥ. 

BG takes quite an assertive stand also by saying Sarva dharman Parityaga…

Being respectful with other’s opinion doesn’t mean we agree with others. On the other hand other person may be a serious seeker who just have not come to the ultimate understanding and knowledge so we have to respect. 

So earlier also while comparing Karama Yoga and Gyana Yoga, Krishna said both are good, both are conducive for liberation, but then He said Karma yoga is better than Karma Sanyas, similarly Krishna says some manīṣiṇaḥ says all works are to be given up, and others say yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma, na tyājyam iti cāpare, apare, means some other people say that no tyājyam, they say that yajña-dāna-tapaḥ are prescribed duties and they are important for one to do and one should never give them up. 

So now after describing these two competing school of opinion Krishna will tell what one should do next, He will say I will give you conclusion.

End of transcription.