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किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः। तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्।।4.16।।

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 4, Verse 16
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the nature of action and inaction, by knowing which you will be liberated from the evil of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: even the wise are confused about what action is and what inaction is, Krishna promises to explain it clearly, acknowledging this distinction genuinely isn't obvious.

In life: the difference between productive effort and busy avoidance isn't always clear even to thoughtful people.

Teaching: don't assume confusion about your own motivations means something is wrong with you, it's apparently a common, expected confusion, worth examining directly rather than feeling embarrassed about.

kimwhat
karmaaction
kimwhat
akarmainaction
itithus
kavayaḥthe wise
apieven
atrain this
mohitāḥare confused
tatthat
teto you
karmaaction
pravakṣhyāmiI shall explain
yatwhich
jñātvāknowing
mokṣhyaseyou may free yourself
aśhubhātfrom inauspiciousness

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
4.16 किम् what? कर्म action? किम् what? अकर्म inaction? इति thus? कवयः wise? अपि also? अत्र in this? मोहिताः (are) deluded? तत् that? ते to thee? कर्म action? प्रवक्ष्यामि (I) shall teach? यत् which? ज्ञात्वा having known? मोक्ष्यसे (thou) shalt be liberated? अशुभात् from evil.No Commentary.