Upanishads · Parabrahma 1.4
॥
Devanāgarī
कर्ममर्मज्ञाता कर्म करोति । कर्ममर्म ज्ञात्वा कर्म कुर्यात्
Transliteration (IAST)
karmamarmajñātā karma karoti | karmamarma jñātvā karma kuryāt
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कर्म-मर्म-ज्ञाता कर्म करोतिkarma-marma-jñātā karma karotione who knows the core of the deed does the deed
कर्म-मर्म ज्ञात्वाkarma-marma jñātvāhaving known the core of the deed
कर्म कुर्यात्karma kuryātlet him do the deed
Translation
One who knows the core of the deed does the deed; having known the core of the deed, let him do the deed.
Version
96598d398555 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The word karma-marma, "the core of the deed," is beautiful and deserves examination. Marman means "a vulnerable point, a joint, the very essence" — the same word discussed when reading the Akṣi (2.5), where it was said "does not voice others' sore points." Here it means "the chief thing in a deed," that on which the deed rests.
The position that emerges is this: one must act, knowing the essence; and this is repeated twice, for emphasis. Note that there is here neither a rejection of action nor a demand for it. There is a demand for understanding: act, but know what you are doing and for whose sake.
The Vaiṣṇava reading coincides with this down to its structure. The Gītā devotes a whole chapter to this and says the same in the same words: "what is action and what is inaction? Here even the wise are perplexed; I shall tell you of action, knowing which you will be freed from evil" (4.16). And there too: "one must know about action, must know about wrong action, and must know about inaction; impenetrable is the path of action" (4.17). That is, there too it is said: neither abandon nor seize, but understand; and the whole difference between binding action and liberating action lies in understanding whose it is.