Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingकिं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaEven the intelligent are confounded as to what is action and what is inaction. I shall tell you of that action, knowing which you will become free from evil.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
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।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiकिङ् कर्म किमकर् मेति
कवयोऽप् यत्र मोहिताः
तत् ते कर् मप्र वक्ष्या मि
यज् ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्य सेऽ शुभात्
॥ १६ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthakimwhat
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
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA4.16What confounds even the intelligent — and what does Kṛṣṇa promise to untangle?
Even the intelligent are confounded as to what is action and what is inaction. I shall tell you of that action, knowing which you will become free from evil.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.