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Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 4.17
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥ १७ ॥
karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ
boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ
gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ
The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Action is hard to understand. We must know the difference between action, forbidden action, and inaction.
Prabhupāda explains that every living being is the Lord’s eternal servant and should therefore act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Learn from authorities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to understand these distinctions properly.
Intricacies of karma are difficult to understand
Distinguish very carefully between the three subjects of karma, vikarma and akarma
This verse explains “Why such actions should not be independent”
Because they are very intricate
Why learn this subject
If one is serious about liberation from material bondage, one has to understand the distinctions
Applied to such analysis because it is such a difficult subject matter
What is the conclusion that Bhagavad-gita is directed towards
To know every living entity as an eternal servitor of Krishna
Action in Krishna consciousness is the action free from three modes
How to learn this subject — Associate with authorities in Krishna consciousness; this is as good as learning from the Lord directly
LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 4.17 & 4.18 — Having introduced the term vikarma, Krishna returns to the distinction between karma and akarma
Texts 4.16 & 4.17
In the next verse Krishna adds the principle of vikarma, or forbidden action, to His presentation of karma and akarma.
One can perform detached actions in Krishna’s service by applying ‘transcendental knowledge’ They are called akarma
Akarma refers to actions without reactions and such actions are on the absolute platform
Krishna explains how in this way karma can be seen as jnana
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Action & reaction
Action, forbidden action and inaction must be understood.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 4.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?
Do one task today purely because it is right.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.