Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Bg 18.5

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām

Synonyms: 

yajña — of sacrifice; dāna — charity; tapaḥ — and penance; karma — activity; na — never; tyājyam — to be given up; kāryam — must be done; eva — certainly; tat — that; yajñaḥ — sacrifice; dānam — charity; tapaḥ — penance; ca — also; eva — certainly; pāvanāni — purifying; manīṣiṇām — even for the great souls.

Translation: 

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

So this is not the work to be given up, na tyājyaṁ, 

yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva, these three actives yajña dāna and tapa, pāvanāni manīṣiṇām, it is interesting that same word manīṣiṇā is used so those manīṣiṇā who think that yajño dānaṁ tapaś is doas vad, (referred in 18.3) here He is telling that it can purify even them who is telling that.

So even the great souls can be purified, so nobody goes up beyond the power of rituals. In Bhakti also we have rituals so yajño dānaṁ tapaś are referred to the specific rituals performed in vedic context, so one may go beyond that in the sense that one may not require Karma Kandi rituals, but the practice of Bhakti also, Bhaktiam so pure now I don’t need these, no pāvanāni manīṣiṇām, 

This is required for devotees also to do but devotees don’t do it from Karam-Kandi mentality but for their purification and upliftment, e.g. morning bath, doinf Ekadashi Vrata etc. 

yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva, so using these generally Kamya Karma is performed so a person may do these kind of specific activity like Ekadashi Vrata is there, as a devotee we do ekadasi vratha for purification for going closer to Krishna we minimize out material activities but others can do same vrata for material benefits, e.g. are Ekadasi Mahatmya which are accepted but not recommended by Acharyas, they are helpful, they may inspire some people to do Ekadasi Vrata seriously. They talk about various benefits but devotees do it for Prema Pumartho Mahan, for the supreme love for Krishna. 

Purport: The Lord says here that any sacrifice which is meant for human welfare should never be given up. Vivāha-yajña, the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind so that it may become peaceful for spiritual advancement. 

So some gratification satisfies the mind and also we understand that there is nothing as great as the mind made out of it.

End of transcription.