TEXT 3
tyajyam dosa-vad ity eke
karma prahur manisinah
yajna-dana-tapah-karma
na tyajyam iti capare
SYNONYMS
tyajyam--must be given up; dosa-vat--as an evil; iti--thus; eke--one group; karma--work; prahuh--said; manisinah--of great thinkers;yajna--sacrifice; dana--charity; tapah--penance; karma--work; na--never; tyajyam--is to be given up; iti--thus; ca--certainly; apare--others.
TRANSLATION
Some learned men declare that all kinds of fruitive activities should be given up, but there are yet other sages who maintain that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should never be abandoned.
PURPORT
There are many activities in the Vedic literatures which are subjects of contention. For instance, it is said that an animal can be killed in a sacrifice, yet some maintain 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.
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