The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 6.25.3-11

The Blessed Lord said:
In the beginning (of creation), O sinless one, the twofold path of devotion was given by Me to this world;—the path of knowledge for the meditative, the path of work for the active.

By non-performance of work none reaches worklessness; by merely giving up action no one attains to perfection.

Verily none can ever rest for even an instant, without performing action; for all are made to act, helplessly indeed, by the Gunas, born of Prakriti.

He, who restraining the organs of action, sits revolving in the mind, thoughts regarding objects of senses, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite.

But, who, controlling the senses by the mind, unattached, directs his organs of action to the path of work, he, O Arjuna, excels.

Do thou perform obligatory action; for action is superior to inaction, and even the bare maintenance of thy body would not be possible if thou art inactive.

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of Yajna; do thou therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for Yajna alone, devoid of attachment.

The Prajâpati, having in the beginning created mankind together with Yajna, said,—"By this shall ye multiply: this shall be the milch cow of your desires.

"Cherish the Devas with this, and may those Devas cherish you: thus cherishing one another, ye shall gain the highest good.