Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 4 - sloka 16

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Adidevananda's translation of Ramanuja  Gita Bhashya, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The Philosophy of Action - Sloka 16-22

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 4 -JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 16

Vidura listening to the Bhagavatham from Sage Maitreya

Kim karma kim akarma iti kavayah api atra mohitah I

Tat te karma pravakshyami yat gyatva mokshyase ashubhat II sloka 16

किं कर्म किं अकर्म इति कवयः अपि अत्र मोहितः ।

तत् ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यत् ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसे अशुभात् ।। श्लोक १६ 

What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are puzzled in respect of these. I shall declare to you

that kind of action by knowing which you will be freed from evil. 

What is the form of action which should be done by an aspirant for liberation? And what is non-action? Knowledge about the true nature of the acting self, is spoken of as non-action. The wise and even the learned scholars, are puzzled, ie., they do not truly know, both these - the proper form of the actions to be performed and the proper form of the knowledge to be included in it. I shall teach you that action which includes knowledge within itself. Knowing ie., following it, you will be released from evil, ie., from the bondage of samsara. Knowledge about the work to be performed results in performance.

Why is it so difficult to know this karma? This is explained in the next sloka