Satisfied by the sacrifices of men, the celestial beings in turn will satisfy men, and from this mutual exchange will come prosperity for all. Satisfied by these sacrifices, the celestial beings do not fail to provide for all the needs of man. But whoever enjoys their gifts without offering anything in return is a thief.
The devotees of the Lord are free from all faults, because they eat only food offered as a sacrifice (dairy products, cereals, legumes, and especially no meat, fish and eggs). But those who prepare food for their own pleasure are feeding only on sin. The body of every being is sustained by the food whose rains enable it to grow. And the rains flow from the sacrifice, the sacrifice that man performs by fulfilling the duties prescribed for him.
The prescribed duties are given in the Vedas (the original holy scriptures), and the Vedas are directly from the Supreme Person. Therefore, the all-pervading Absolute (God, Krishna) is eternally found in the acts of sacrifice.
He who does not perform sacrifice as prescribed in the Vedas, lives in sin. He exists in vain who delights in sense pleasures.
However, there is no duty for the enlightened being on the true self, who perfectly fulfilled, rejoices and is satisfied only in himself.
He who has realised his spiritual identity does not pursue any self-interest in discharging his duties, nor does he seek to shirk his obligations. Thus, man must act out of a sense of duty, detached from the fruit of his actions, for through the act free from attachment, one attains the Absolute.
Even kings like Janaka, and others, attained perfection through the performance of duty. So do your duty, if only for the edification of the people.
Whatever a great man does, the mass of people always follow in his footsteps; the whole world follows the standard he sets by his example.
There is no duty in the three worlds that I must perform; I need nothing, nor do I desire anything. And yet, I lend Myself to action.
For, if I did not act, all men would follow the path that I would have traced. If I refrained from acting, all the universes would sink into desolation; because of Me, man would beget undesirable offspring. Thus I would disturb the peace of all beings.
In performing his duty, the ignorant man clings to the fruits of his labour. The enlightened man also acts, but without attachment, for the sole purpose of guiding the people to the right path. Let not the wise man trouble the ignorant who are attached to the fruits of their actions. They should not be encouraged to inaction, but rather to imbue their every act with love and devotion.