Let shastra guide action.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ |ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ||१६-२४||
tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau . jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi ||16-24||
Use this verse as Chapter 16 completion reflection.
Meaning
Therefore, let scripture be your authority in determining what should and should not be done. Knowing what is taught by scripture, you should act here.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Scripture should guide decisions about right and wrong action.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Chapter 16 ends with a decision principle. When desire, anger, greed, pride, or confusion distort judgment, the seeker should return to shastra, wisdom, and dharma before acting.
Read the traditional commentary
The chapter closes with a clear and grounding instruction. Let shastra — scripture — be your pramana, your authority and standard, in discerning karya and akarya, what ought and ought not to be done. After surveying the chaos of the desire-driven life, Krishna offers a steadying anchor: a tested measure outside the turbulence of one's own impulses.
Yet notice the verb jnatva, 'having known.' This is not blind obedience but informed action. The seeker is to understand what the scriptures teach and then act in the world (iha) with that understanding.
Earlier in the Gita, Krishna pointed beyond the letter of scripture to direct realization; here he gives Arjuna, still on the path, a reliable footing for daily conduct. The whole chapter thus resolves into a practical wisdom: until the inner light is fully steady, let the lamp of tested guidance illumine each step of right action.
In daily life
Use sacred wisdom as a decision compass.
A person unsure about an ethical choice can open a Gita-based decision tool before acting.
Try this today
Before one important action, check it against scripture and conscience.
I act according to dharma and sacred wisdom.Reflect
What does dharma say I should do here?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on scripture, in other chapters
- Verse 2.42Do not be satisfied with beautiful spiritual language that does not challenge and transform your actual way of living — truth is always more demanding than its ornate descriptions.
- Verse 4.17Discern not only whether you act, but the quality of the act — the consequences of action run deeper than they appear.
- Verse 18.30Pure intellect clearly knows when to act and when to refrain, and what truly binds versus what frees.
- Verse 3.2 · ArjunaWhen a teaching overwhelms you, ask sincerely for the one clear next step instead of drowning in every possibility.
Swipe left for 17.1 · Faith needs guidance and self-understanding.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 16.24
Who says Bhagavad Gita 16.24, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 16.24, in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 16.24 mean?
Therefore, let scripture be your authority in determining what should and should not be done. Knowing what is taught by scripture, you should act here. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 16.24 for daily life?
Use sacred wisdom as a decision compass. A person unsure about an ethical choice can open a Gita-based decision tool before acting.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 16.24 mean?
तस्मात् — therefore; शास्त्रम् — scripture; प्रमाणम् — authority, standard of measure; ते — for you; कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ — in determining what should and should not be done.
Where does verse 16.24 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 24 of 24 in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga. It closes the chapter; Chapter 17 begins with verse 17.1.