Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 17

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

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

Translation

For, thou hast to know something even of action, something to know of unlawful action, and something to know of inaction; hard to understand is the nature of action.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

karmaṇaḥ

of action

hi

indeed

api

also

boddhavyam

should be known

boddhavyam

should be known

ca

and

vikarmaṇaḥ

of wrong action

akarmaṇaḥ

of inaction

ca

and

boddhavyam

should be known

gahanā

deep

karmaṇaḥ

of action

gatiḥ

the path

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

For there is much to be learnt about the action which is enjoined by the scripture, about the action which is unlawful, and about inaction. In fact, it is hard to understand the true nature of action enjoined, of inaction, and of unlawful action.