Bhagavad Gita · Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga YogaChapter 16, Shloka 24 (16.24)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि
॥ 16.24 ॥
tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi
Translation
"Therefore scripture is your authority in deciding what should and should not be done. Knowing the action prescribed by the injunctions of scripture, you should act here."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. śāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ jñānasādhanaṃ; iha iti karmādhikārabhūmipradarśanārtham — "here" = the field of action.
Ramanujacharya. dharmaśāstretihāsapurāṇādyupabṛṃhitā vedāḥ — the Vedas as amplified by the dharmashastras, the epics and the puranas; yathāvad anyūnātiriktaṃ vijñāya — understanding them exactly, neither less nor more.
Shridhara Swami. śrutismṛtipurāṇādikam eva pramāṇam — the shruti, smriti and puranas alone are the authority; yathā 'dhikāraṃ karma — action according to one's eligibility; and the reason: tanmūlatvāt sattvaśuddhisamyagjñānamuktīnām — purity of mind, right knowledge and liberation rest on these.
Madhusudana Saraswati. śāstraṃ vedatadupajīvismṛtipurāṇādikam eva bodhakaṃ pramāṇaṃ nānyat svotprekṣābuddhavākyādi — the Vedas and the texts based on them alone are the authority; not one's own imagination, nor the words of the Buddha and the like.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.