किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः । तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ १६ ॥
kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt
Translation
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. I shall explain to you that action, knowing which you will be freed from evil.
Hindi Meaning (हिंदी अर्थ)
कर्म क्या है और अकर्म क्या है — इसके निर्णय में बुद्धिमान भी मोहित हो जाते हैं। इसलिए मैं तुम्हें वह कर्म-तत्त्व बताऊँगा जिसे जानकर तुम अशुभ (संसार-बंधन) से मुक्त हो जाओगे।
Commentary
Krishna acknowledges that this is genuinely difficult — even kavayaḥ, the wise poets and seers, get confused. It is not obvious when doing something is binding and when not-doing is itself an action. He sets out to clarify.