4-17

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यम् बोद्धव्यम् च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यम् गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥ १७ ॥

karmaNo hyapi boddhavyam boddhavyam ca vikarmaNaH |
akarmaNazca boddhavyam gahanA karmaNo gatiH || 17 ||

हि [hi] Indeed, कर्मणः अपि [karmaNaH api] the nature of activity बोद्धव्यम् [boddhavyam] must be known. विकर्मणः [vikarmaNaH] The wide variety of activity बोद्धव्यम् [boddhavyam] must be known च [ca] too. अकर्मणः च [akarmaNaH ca] Even being free from activity बोद्धव्यम् [boddhavyam] must be known. कर्मणः गतिः [karmaNaH gatiH] The consequences of actions गहना [gahanA] are extremely difficult to understand.

Indeed, we must know the activities that lead to moksha . We must know the variety of different actions too – actions that we do daily, actions that are prescribed to us, actions that arise out of desire and actions that gather worldly items to satisfy these desires. We must know about being free from activity, which is the same as realizing the true nature of the Self.

It’s difficult to discern the course of activities done to achieve moksha.

Variety in activity is perceived due to their different outcomes – prescribed, routine, desire-driven and accumulation. Look beyond this variety and aim at a single outcome called moksha . All knowledge points to the same fact – it is the ultimate goal.

It is already stated in 2-41, that ‘The intellect, which perseveres to determine the nature of the Self is singular’. It’s not elaborated further over here.

In the next Shloka, He teaches about being free from activity and about being active.