4.15 Evam gyAthvA krutham karma

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 4

<< Chapter 4 verse 14

SlOkam – Original

Evam gyAthvA krutham karma pUrvair api mumukshubhi: |
kuru karmaiva thasmAth thvam pUrvai: pUrvatharam krutham ||

word-by-word meaning

Evam gyAthvA – knowing (me) in this manner (and having their sins eliminated)
pUrvai: mumukshubhi: api – ancestors who were mumukshus (liberation seekers)
karma – karma yOga which was explained previously
krutham – performed.
thasmAth – thus
thvam – you too (becoming free from such sins by knowing me)
pUrvai: – ancestors such as sUrya, manu et al
krutham – performed
pUrvatharam – ancient
karma Eva – karma yOga only
kuru – perform.

Simple Translation

Knowing (me) in this manner (and having their sins eliminated), ancestors who were mumukshus (liberation seekers) performed karma yOga which was explained previously. You too (becoming free from such sins by knowing me) perform the same ancient karma yOga only which was performed by ancestors such as sUrya, manu et al.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘So understanding, did the moksha-seeking ancients do work. Do you also work, like the ancients, in the ancient way.’

Understanding Me in the way propounded above, did the ancients work (work as if it were all My Worship); —the moksha-aspiring and sinless ancients.

Do you also —released from all evil by your knowledge of Me in the way inculcated— work, or observe Karma-Yoga in the old style, as adopted by the ancients, Vivasvān, Manu etc., (read iv-i), —Karma-Yoga, as taught by Me at that time, and such as is going to be expounded further on.

The difficulty of understanding the kind of Karma-(yoga) —which is going to be described— is stated:—

>> Chapter 4 verse 16

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