Gita : Ch-4. Slo-16.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-4. ( Jnana-karma-sanyasa-yogam )


Slokam-16. (  Even   the  scholors   are  confused   in  this  mater  of  what  is  action  and  what  is  inaction.  I  shall  explain   to  you  about  this,  knowing  which   is  what, you  shall  be  liberated  from  all  worldly  sufferings. )



kim  karma   kimakarmeti  kavayopyatra  mohitah,



tatte  karma  pravakshyami  yatjjnatva  mokshyasesubhat.



karma   kim  akarma  kim  =  what  is  karma,  ( action )  and  what  is  akarma  ( inaction );

iti  atra  =   to  make  decition  upon  the  above;

kavayah  api  mohitah  =  even  scholors  (who  are  tatva-dharsi-s )   struggle (to  decide );

yat  jjnatva  =  knowing  which  is  what;

asubhat  =  from   the  worldly  ill   fortunes;

mokashyase  =  you  be  liberated;

tat  karma  =  that  karma  itself;

te  pravakshyami  =  I  shall  explain  to  you.

( From  here  onwards  members  be  closely  listen  Lord's  words )



Arjuna might be thinking that if everyone has to perform actions anyway then he will do it because the Lord advised it so; but he may have doubts about his ability to perform actions in the manner that was performed by the great beings of yore. To clarify this Lord Krishna confirms that even those of discrimination and intelligence are bewildered by the subtleties of action and inaction. The actions performed by an aspirant for moksa or liberation are completely different from those seeking rewards for their actions. Because the intricacies of action and inaction are difficult to comprehend Lord Krishna now promises to explain it definitively, therefore by knowing and performing actions properly one will be freed from the disease of materialism which binds one tightly to samsara the cycle of birth and death.

In the three previous slokam-s Lord Krishna talks about performance of actions, now He promises to gives a detailed explanation that will dispel delusion about the nature of actions.

Here it is inferred that action should be performed under the guidance of those situated in jnana yoga or the cultivation of Vedic knowledge, who are knowers of the ultimate truth and such action should not be based on what is popular at the moment in society. Even men of discrimination can be beguiled by the subtle nature of what is action and what is inaction. So now in the next verse Lord Krishna will expound the intricacies of action and inaction that by performing one will be free of the disease of transmigrated existence and will attain moksa or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Exactly what is the nature of karma or action as performed by the aspirants treading the path to moksa or liberation from material existence and what also is akarma or inaction? By the term akarma is inferred true knowledge relating to the doer which is the atma or soul. What is the action which needs to be performed and what is the wisdom of inaction that is involved in such an action? Even persons of discrimination and knowledge are bewildered in this matter and confused do not understand this differences properly. Lord Krishna now promises to dispel all delusion in the intricacies of this subject. What is the purpose of performing actions as a matter of duty? The satisfaction consists in the knowledge of knowing why the duty is to be discharged. The knower is the person who performs works aspiring for moksa. The ignorant is one who performs work for sense gratification. The former performs work without egoism while the latter performs works full of egoism. The former is eligible for liberation the latter is eligible for bondage. Why this is so difficult to understand is explained in the next slokam.

To be continued  ....