Bhagavad Gita 4.16
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः। तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्।।
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt
Word-by-Word
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kim | kim | what |
| karma | karma | action |
| kim | kim | what |
| akarma | akarma | inaction |
| iti | iti | thus |
| kavayaḥ | kavayaḥ | the wise |
| api | api | even |
| atra | atra | in this |
| mohitāḥ | mohitāḥ | are confused |
| tat | tat | that |
| te | te | to you |
| karma | karma | action |
| pravakṣhyāmi | pravakṣhyāmi | I shall explain |
| yat | yat | which |
| jñātvā | jñātvā | knowing |
| mokṣhyase | mokṣhyase | you may free yourself |
| aśhubhāt | aśhubhāt | from inauspiciousness |
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.
कर्म क्या है और अकर्म क्या है? इस विषय में बुद्धिमान पुरुष भी भ्रमित हो जाते हैं। इसलिये मैं तुम्हें कर्म कहूँगा, (अर्थात् कर्म और अकर्म का स्वरूप समझाऊँगा) जिसको जानकर तुम अशुभ (संसार बन्धन) से मुक्त हो जाओगे।।