Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 4, verse 16 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 4.16 · Kim Karma Kimakarmeti
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥
kiṃ karma kimakarmeti kavayo’pyatra mohitāḥ |
tatte karma pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā mokṣyase’śubhāt ||
Translation
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are bewildered here. I will explain to you what action is; knowing it, you will be freed from evil.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga — “The Yoga of Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action”, which has 42 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 4.16 mean?
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are bewildered here. I will explain to you what action is; knowing it, you will be freed from evil.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 4.16?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 4, Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.