4.15 So do your work as they did Krishna speaks
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्
evaṁ jñātvā kṛitaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣhubhiḥ
kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛitam
Knowing this, those who sought freedom in earlier times did their work. So do your work as they did.
Explanation
Others did it this way, so do the same.
Knowing this, those who sought freedom in earlier times did their work.
The appeal is to precedent, as 3.20's Janaka was. And note what the precedent did: not withdrew, not renounced — did their work, which is the only instruction this book ever gives twice.
Word by word
- evam
- thus
- jñātvā
- knowing
- kṛitam
- performed
- karma
- actions
- pūrvaiḥ
- of ancient times
- api
- indeed
- mumukṣhubhiḥ
- seekers of liberation
- kuru
- should perform
- karma
- duty
- eva
- certainly
- tasmāt
- therefore
- tvam
- you
- pūrvaiḥ
- of those ancient sages
- pūrva-taram
- in ancient times
- kṛitam
- performed
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