किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥
kiṃ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ |tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt ||
- किम् · kim
- what
- कर्म · karma
- action
- अकर्म · akarma
- inaction
- इति · iti
- thus
- कवयः · kavayaḥ
- the wise, poets
- अपि · api
- even
- अत्र · atra
- here, on this
- मोहिताः · mohitāḥ
- bewildered
- तत् · tat
- that
- ते · te
- to you
- प्रवक्ष्यामि · pravakṣyāmi
- I shall declare
- यत् · yat
- which
- ज्ञात्वा · jñātvā
- having known
- मोक्ष्यसे · mokṣyase
- you shall be freed
- अशुभात् · aśubhāt
- from evil, misfortune
“'What is action, what is inaction?' — even the wise are bewildered here. I shall declare that action to you, knowing which you shall be freed from evil.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna admits the topic's notorious subtlety — if sages stumble, Arjuna need not feel dull. The promise is large: right discernment on this single point frees from evil. The next verses deliver the promised analysis.
— Reader's notes (original)