एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥
evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ |kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṃ kṛtam ||
- एवम् · evam
- thus
- ज्ञात्वा · jñātvā
- having known
- कृतम् · kṛtam
- was done
- कर्म · karma
- action
- पूर्वैः · pūrvaiḥ
- by the ancients
- अपि · api
- also, even
- मुमुक्षुभिः · mumukṣubhiḥ
- by seekers of liberation
- कुरु · kuru
- do
- एव · eva
- indeed
- तस्मात् · tasmāt
- therefore
- त्वम् · tvam
- you
- पूर्वतरम् · pūrvataram
- in still earlier times
“Knowing thus, action was performed even by the ancient seekers of liberation. Therefore you too should do action, as performed by the ancients in still earlier times.”
— Original plain-language translation
Liberation-seekers of old chose work, not flight — precedent joins philosophy. Arjuna is asked to step into a lineage of acting sages, not invent a novel escape. Tradition here authorizes engagement, not withdrawal.
— Reader's notes (original)