Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 15

एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः । कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्

evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ | kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṃ kṛtam

Translation

Thus knowing, men of old performed action in the hope of liberation; therefore do thou also perform action as did the ancients in the olden time.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

evam

thus

jñātvā

having known

kṛtam

(was) done

karma

action

pūrvaiḥ

by ancients

api

also

mumukṣubhiḥ

(by) desirous of mokṣa

kuru

do

karma

action

eva

even

tasmāt

therefore

tvam

thou

pūrvaiḥ

by ancients

pūrvataram

(in the) past

kṛtam

done

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

If thou art ignorant, do thou perform action to purify the self. If thou art wise and knowest the truth, do thou perform action for the protection of the masses. It was performed by the ancients such as Janaka in the olden time: it is not a recent institution.