Shloka 16

ध्यानयोगः — Dhyāna-Yoga

Discipline of Meditation and Mental Restraint

Devanagari script

कि कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयो<प्यत्र मोहिता: । तत्‌ ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यजउज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेडशुभात्‌,कर्म क्या है? और अकर्म क्‍या है?--इस प्रकार इसका निर्णय करनेमें बुद्धिमान्‌ पुरुष भी मोहित हो जाते हैं। इसलिये वह कर्मतत्त्व मैं तुझे भलीभाँति समझाकर कहूँगा, जिसे जानकर तू अशुभसे अर्थात्‌ कर्मबन्धनसे मुक्त हो जायगा

Transliteration

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ | tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “What is action, and what is non-action? Even the wise are bewildered here. Therefore I ask you to explain to me the true principle of action—knowing which I may be freed from what is inauspicious, namely the binding consequences of action.”

Word by Word

{'kiṁ''what?', 'karma': 'action

also action as a cause of bondage when done with attachment', 'akarma''non-action

also action that does not bind (action performed in right knowledge/without attachment)', 'iti''thus

in this manner (marking the quoted question)', 'kavayaḥ''sages

poets (those of insight)', 'api''even

also', 'atra''here

in this matter/topic', 'mohitāḥ''bewildered

confused', 'tat''therefore

that (for this reason)', 'te''to you

for you (here‘to you’ as the listener, i.e., ‘for your sake’)', 'pravakṣyāmi': 'I shall explain

I will declare clearly', 'yat''which

that which', 'jñātvā''having known

after understanding', 'mokṣyase''you will be liberated

you will be freed', 'aśubhāt''from the inauspicious

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a key ethical problem: distinguishing true ‘action’ from ‘non-action’ is subtle enough to confuse even the wise. It sets up Krishna’s forthcoming explanation that right understanding and intention determine whether action binds or liberates.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukshetra context, Arjuna directly questions Krishna about how to discern karma and akarma, seeking guidance that will free him from inauspicious consequences and moral confusion about duty.