BG 4.16
Bhagavad Gītā · Jñāna YogaupagItiकिं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः | तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ||४-१६||
kiṃ karma kimakarmeti kavayo.apyatra mohitāḥ . tatte karma pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā mokṣyase.aśubhāt ||4-16||
Linguistic facts
upagIti · 16+16 syllables
scansion (laghu/guru)
16 words analyzed
- किम्kim← किम्indeclinable
- कर्मkarma← कर्मन्nominal · vocative singular neuter
- किम्kim← किम्indeclinable
- अकर्मakarma← अकर्मन्nominal · vocative singular neuter
- ईतिīti← ईतिindeclinable
- कवयोऽप्यत्रkavayo'pyatraunknown
- मोहिताmohitā← मुह्verb · periphrastic future third singular active (√muh)
- अस्as← अnominal · nominative singular masculine
- तत्tat← तद्nominal · vocative singular neuter
- तेte← ताnominal · nominative dual feminine
- कर्मkarma← कर्मन्nominal · vocative singular neuter
- प्रवक्ष्यामिpravakṣyāmi← प्रवच्verb · future first singular active (√pravac)
- यत्yat← यत्nominal · nominative singular masculine
- ज्ञात्वाjñātvā← ज्ञाindeclinable
- मोक्ष्यसेmokṣyase← मुच्verb · future second singular passive (√muc)
- अशुभात्aśubhāt← अशुभnominal · Panchami singular masculine
Facts come from Vidyut (deterministic), never the model. Automated segmentation isn’t hand-verified — gaps are shown, not guessed.
Translations
4.16 What is action? What is inaction? As to this even the wise are confused. Therefore I shall teach thee such action (the nature of action and inaction) by knowing which thou shalt be liberated from the evil (of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death).
source ↗8 more attributed translations
Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all misfortune.
4.16. Even the wise are perplexed about what is action and what is non-action; I shall preperly teach you the action, by knowing which you shall be freed from evil.
4.16 What is action and what is inaction? It is a question which has bewildered the wise. But I will declare unto thee the philosophy of action, and knowing it, thou shalt be free from evil.
4.16 See Comment under 4.17
4.16 What is the form of the action which should be done by an aspirant for liberation? And what is non-action? Knowledge about the true nature of the acting self, is spoken of as non-action. The wise, even the learned scholars, are puzzled, i.e., do not truly know, both these - the proper form of the actions to be performed and the proper form of knowledge included in it. I shall teach you that action which includes knowledge within itself. Knowing, i.e., following it, you will be released from evil, i.e., from the bondage of Samsara. Knowledge about the work to be performed results in its performance. Why is it so difficult to know this Karma? Sri Krsna replies:
4.16 Kavayah api, even the intelligent; mohitah, are confounded in this subject of action etc.; iti atra, as to; kim karma, what is action; and kim akarma, what is inaction. Therefore, pravaksyami, I shall tell; te, you; of karma, action; akarma ca, as also of inaction; jnatva, by knowing; yat, which-action etc.; moksyase, you will become free: asubhat, from evil, from transmigration. 'And you should not think thus: What is called karma is the movement of the body etc. as are well-known in the world; and akarma, inaction, is not doing those, (i.e.) sitting ietly. What is there to understand (further) in that regard?' 'Why?' The answer is:
4.16 What is action? What is non-action? Even the wise are puzzled in respect of these. I shall declare to you that kind of action by knowing which you will be freed from evil.
4.16 Even the intelligent are confounded as to what is action and what is inaction. I shall tell you of that action by knowing which you will become free from evil.
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