Gita 18.5

Sadhak: "Krishna says these actions are purifying 'even for the wise.' Doesn't wisdom itself purify?"

Guru: "Wisdom (jnana) purifies at the level of understanding, removing ignorance. But subtle vasanas (impressions) and tendencies can persist even in those who understand clearly. Yajna-dana-tapas work at different levels—emotional, energetic, habitual. The wise continue these practices not because they lack knowledge but because complete purification operates on multiple planes simultaneously."

Sadhak: "Does this mean the 'all action is faulty' view is simply wrong?"

Guru: "Not entirely wrong—it contains valid insight that action can bind. But its conclusion—abandon all action—is wrong. The insight is correct: action performed with attachment, for selfish gain, creates bondage. The prescription is incorrect: the solution is not abandoning action but transforming its quality. These three types of action, when performed correctly, purify rather than bind."

Sadhak: "What exactly do yajna, dana, and tapas mean in practice today?"

Guru: "Yajna: any offering to something greater than yourself—worship, dedication of work, serving the cosmic order. Dana: giving without expectation—resources, time, skill, compassion. Tapas: voluntary discipline—restraining impulses, enduring difficulties consciously, developing willpower. They need not be formal religious acts. A mother's sacrifice is yajna; sharing knowledge is dana; choosing the right over the easy is tapas."

Sadhak: "If I am attached to these practices themselves, isn't that also bondage?"

Guru: "Good question—and the next verse will address exactly this. Yes, attachment even to purifying practices is still attachment. Krishna will specify that these must be performed 'without attachment to fruits.' The practice is essential; the clinging is what binds. This verse establishes that the practice continues; the next verse establishes how."