170
Bhagavad-gātā  As It Is
[Ch. 3]
polluted propensities have to be cleared. Without doing so, through prescribed duties, one should never attempt to become a so-called transcendentalist, renouncing work and living at the cost of others.
TEXT 9
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः । तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥९॥
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
yajña-arthāt —only for the sake of Yajña, or Viṣṇu;  karmaṇaḥ —work done;  anyatra —otherwise;  lokaḥ —this world;  ayam —this;  karma-bandhanaḥ —bondage by work;  tat —Him;  artham —for the sake of;  karma —work;  kaunteya —O son of Kuntī;  mukta-saṅgaḥ —liberated from association;  samācara —do it perfectly.
TRANSLATION
Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.
PURPORT
Since one has to work even for the simple maintenance of the body, the prescribed duties for a particular social position and quality are so made that that purpose can be fulfilled.  Yajña  means Lord Viṣṇu, or sacrificial performances. All sacrificial performances also are meant for the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu. The  Vedas  enjoin:  yajño vai viṣṇuḥ . In other words, the same purpose is served whether one performs prescribed  yajñas  or directly serves Lord Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore performance of  yajña  as it is prescribed in this verse. The  vaṛṇāśrama  institution also aims at this for satisfying Lord Viṣṇu. “ Vaṛṇāśramācāra-vatā puruṣeṛa