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एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः। कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्।।4.15।।

evaṁ jñātvā kṛitaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣhubhiḥ kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛitam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 4, Verse 15
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform action, as the ancients did in days of yore.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: knowing this, the ancients who sought liberation still performed action, so Arjuna should perform action as they did, in the past, citing precedent rather than asking for blind trust.

In life: it helps to know that people you respect already walked a similar path successfully, it's reassuring, not just theoretical.

Teaching: when facing a hard choice, look for others who've faced something similar and how they actually handled it, not just abstract principle.

evamthus
jñātvāknowing
kṛitamperformed
karmaactions
pūrvaiḥof ancient times
apiindeed
mumukṣhubhiḥseekers of liberation
kurushould perform
karmaduty
evacertainly
tasmāttherefore
tvamyou
pūrvaiḥof those ancient sages
pūrva-taramin ancient times
kṛitamperformed

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
4.15 एवं thus? ज्ञात्वा having known? कृतम् (was) done? कर्म action? पूर्वैः by ancients? अपि also? मुमुक्षुभिः seekers after freedom? कुरु perform? कर्म action? एव even? तस्मात् therefore? त्वम् thou? पूर्वैः by ancients?,पूर्वतरम् in the olden time? कृतम् done.Commentary Knowing thus that the Self can have no desire for the fruits of actions and cannot be tainted by them? and knowing that no one can be tainted if he works without egoism? attachment and expectation of fruits? do thou perform your duty.If your heart is impure? perform actions for its purification. If you have attained AtmaJnana or the knowledge of the Self? work for the wellbeing of the world. The ancients such as Janaka and others performed actions in the days of yore. So do thou also perform action.