Bhagavad Gita 4.17 Meaning: Karmano hyapi boddhavyam

Bhagavad Gita 4.17

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥

Karmano hyapi boddhavyam boddhavyam cha vikarmanahAkarmanashcha boddhavyam gahana karmano gatih

karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ |akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation One must understand action (karma), wrong action (vikarma) and inaction (akarma), Krishna says, because the way of action is hard to understand.

हिंदी अर्थ कृष्ण कहते हैं कि कर्म को समझना चाहिए, विकर्म (निषिद्ध या उलटे कर्म) को भी, और अकर्म को भी, क्योंकि कर्म की गति गहन है।

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कर्मणः karmaṇaḥ · of action (noun (neuter), genitive singular) Dictionary: karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 258, col. 2 “act, action, performance, business”
हि hi · for (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. hi, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1297, col. 3 “for, because, on account of”
अपि api · also (indeclinable) Dictionary: api, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 55, col. 1 “in the sense of even, also, very”
बोद्धव्यम् boddhavyam · is to be understood (gerundive (to be done) (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: boddhavya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 734, col. 2 “to be known or perceived or observed or recognized”
बोद्धव्यम् boddhavyam · is to be understood (gerundive (to be done) (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: boddhavya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 734, col. 2 “to be known or perceived or observed or recognized”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
विकर्मणः vikarmaṇaḥ · of wrong action (noun (neuter), genitive singular) Dictionary: 1. vi-karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 950, col. 1 “prohibited or unlawful act”
अकर्मणः akarmaṇaḥ · of inaction (noun (neuter), genitive singular) Dictionary: a-karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 2, col. 1 “absence of work”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
बोद्धव्यम् boddhavyam · is to be understood (gerundive (to be done) (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: boddhavya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 734, col. 2 “to be known or perceived or observed or recognized”
गहना gahanā · deep, hard to grasp (adjective (feminine), nominative singular) Dictionary: gahana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 352, col. 1 “deep, dense, thick, impervious, impenetrable, inexplicable, hard to be understood”
कर्मणः karmaṇaḥ · of action (noun (neuter), genitive singular) Dictionary: karman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 258, col. 2 “act, action, performance, business”
गतिः gatiḥ · way (noun (feminine), nominative singular) Dictionary: gati, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 347, col. 3 “going, moving, gait, deportment, motion in general”

Bhagavad Gita 4.17: meaning and translation

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