Responsibility — Lesson 14

Verse

Transliteration

tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākārya-vyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi

Meaning

Therefore, let knowledge (scriptural wisdom) be your guide in determining what should be done and what should not be done. Understanding this, you should act accordingly.

Key Words

• śāstram — knowledge, teaching
• pramāṇam — means of knowledge, guide
• kārya — what is to be done
• akārya — what is not to be done
• vyavasthiti — clarity, determination

Teaching

Krishna gives a final guideline for action. How do we decide what is right? Not based on impulse, not based on convenience, not based on emotion alone. Action must be guided by knowledge. Knowledge here means: a clear understanding of life, values, and the consequences of action. When action is guided by knowledge, it becomes consistent and reliable.

Connection to Responsibility

Responsibility requires clarity in decision-making. Without guidance, actions become random. With knowledge, actions become aligned. This verse completes the framework of responsibility: act, act rightly, and let knowledge guide action.

Reflection

When I make decisions, what do I rely on? Is my action guided by clarity, or by habit and impulse?