किं 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||
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).
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.
Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.
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:
(Showing excerpt)
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.
This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
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