Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]For one must understand what action is, what wrong action is, and what inaction is; the nature of action is profound.
BG 4.17
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः । अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥
karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ | akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ ||
"Three things must be understood: action, wrong-action, inaction. The nature of action is deep and impenetrable."
All public-domain translations
5 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]For, verily, even what is action should be known, and what is wrong action should be known, and what is inaction should be known; the true nature of action is profound.
William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)
[6]For the nature of right action should be known, as also of wrong action, and of inaction; the path of action is hard to understand.
Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)
[7]For one must understand of act, and then Of wrong act, and of non-act — hard and deep The matter lieth.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]For even the true nature of action should be known, and the true nature of unlawful action should be known, and the true nature of inaction should be known; the nature of action is profound.