किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: |
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् || 16||
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt
kim—what; karma—action; kim—what; akarma—inaction; iti—thus; kavayaḥ—the wise; api—even; atra—in this; mohitāḥ—are confused; tat—that; te—to you; karma—action; pravakṣhyāmi—I shall explain; yat—which; jñātvā—knowing; mokṣhyase—you may free yourself; aśhubhāt—from inauspiciousness
Translation:
What is action, and what is not action? In this matter, even the wise are deluded. I will teach you that action knowing which you shall be liberated from evil.
Commentary:
Right action is a subtle law which even the wise and the learned are not able to understand. So the Lord out of compassion for humanity begins to explain the secret of Nishkama Karma. It is only by knowing it that man can free himself from the bondage of evil. By wrong action man binds himself to endless samsara. By right action, he attains freedom. So it is necessary for all to understand the law of karma.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
In the Krishna Incarnation He says that the root of all sorts of misery is avidya (nescience) and that selfless work purifies the mind. But “Even sages are bewildered to decide what is work and what is no-work.” Only that kind of work which develops our spirituality is work. Whatever fosters materiality is no-work.[Source]
Question: What is the way to free oneself from evil?
Answer: To know what is action and what is not action is the way to transcend evil.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4 🔻 (42 Verses)
