Word meanings
- evam
- thus
- jñātvā
- knowing
- kṛtam
- performed
- karma
- actions
- pūrvaiḥ
- of ancient times
- api
- indeed
- mumukṣubhiḥ
- seekers of liberation
- kuru
- should perform
- karma
- duty
- eva
- certainly
- tasmāt
- therefore
- tvam
- you
- pūrvaiḥ
- of those ancient sages
- pūrva-taram
- in ancient times
- kṛtam
- performed
Translations
Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform action, as the ancients did in days of yore.
In the light of wisdom, our ancestors who sought deliverance performed their acts. Act thou also as our fathers of old did.
Thus having known, even the ancient seekers of liberation performed their duties. Therefore, you should undertake action as was performed earlier by the ancients.
पूर्वकालके मुमुक्षुओंने भी इस प्रकार जानकर कर्म किये हैं, इसलिये तू भी पूर्वजोंके द्वारा सदासे किये जानेवाले कर्मोंको ही (उन्हींकी तरह) कर।Commentary
Knowing thus that the Self can have no desire for the fruits of actions and cannot be tainted by them, and knowing that no one can be tainted if he works without egoism, attachment and expectation of fruits, do thou perform your duty. If your heart is impure, perform actions for its purification. If you have attained Atma-Jnana or the knowledge of the Self, work for the wellbeing of the world. The ancients such as Janaka and others performed actions in the days of yore. So do thou also perform action.