Verse 4.17

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।

अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥

4.17

Transliteration

karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ |

akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

For verily (the true nature) of action (enjoined by the scriptures) should be known, also (that) of forbidden (or unlawful) action, and of inaction; hard to understand is the nature (path) of action.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

of action
indeed
also
must be understood
must be understood
and
of wrong action

of inaction
and
must be understood
deep
of action
the way

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Krishna names three things that must be understood: karma, action as it should be; vikarma, wrong or forbidden action; and akarma, inaction. He then says that the course of action is gahana, deep or hard to penetrate. Traditions differ on the precise sense of vikarma, some reading it as forbidden action, others as varied or special action. The verse makes clear that the ethics of action cannot be settled by simple rules. One must look into the nature of each act, its motive and its effect.