16.24 Therefore, the scripture is your authority as regards the determination of what is to be done and what is not to be done. After understanding (your) duty as presented by scriptural injunction, you ought to perform (your duty) here.

16.24 Therefore, let the Sastra be your authority for determining what should be done and what should not be done. Knowing what is enjoined in the injunctions of the Sastra, you should perform work here.

।।16.24।।अतः तेरे लिये कर्तव्य-अकर्तव्यकी व्यवस्थामें शास्त्र ही प्रमाण है -- ऐसा जानकर तू इस लोकमें शास्त्र-विधिसे नियत कर्तव्य कर्म करनेयोग्य है।

।।16.24।। व्याख्या --   तस्मात् शास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ -- जिन मनुष्योंको अपने प्राणोंसे मोह होता है? वे प्रवृत्ति और निवृत्ति अर्थात् कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्यको न जाननेसे विशेषरूपसे आसुरीसम्पत्तिमें प्रवृत्त होते हैं। इसलिये तू कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्यका निर्णय करनेके लिये शास्त्रको सामने रख।जिनकी महिमा शास्त्रोंने गायी है और जिनका बर्ताव शास्त्रीय सिद्धान्तके अनुसार होता है? ऐसे संतमहापुरुषोंके आचरणों और वचनोंके अनुसार चलना भी शास्त्रोंके अनुसार ही चलना है। कारण कि उन महापुरुषोंने शास्त्रोको आदर दिया है? और शास्त्रोंके अनुसार चलनेसे ही वे श्रेष्ठ पुरुष बने हैं। वास्तवमें देखा जाय तो जो महापुरुष परमात्मतत्त्वको प्राप्त हुए हैं? उनके आचरणों? आदर्शों? भावों आदिसे ही शास्त्र बनते हैं।शास्त्रं प्रमाणम् का तात्पर्य यह है कि लोकपरलोकका आश्रय लेकर चलनेवाले मनुष्योंके लिये कर्तव्यअकर्तव्यकी व्यवस्थामें शास्त्र ही प्रमाण है।ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि (टिप्पणी प0 831) -- प्राणपोषणपरायण मनुष्य शास्त्रविधिको (कि किसमें प्रवृत्त होना है और किससे निवृत होना है) नहीं जानते (गीता 16। 7) इसलिये उनको सिद्धि आदीकि प्राप्ति नहीं होती। भगवान् अर्जुनसे कहते हैं कि तू तो दैवीसम्पत्तिको प्राप्त है अतः तू शास्त्रविधिको जानकर कर्तव्यका पालन करनेयोग्य है।अर्जुन पहले अपनी धारणासे कहते थे कि युद्ध करनेसे मुझे पाप लगेगा? जबकि भाग्यशाली श्रेष्ठ क्षत्रियोंके लिये अपनेआप प्राप्त हुआ युद्ध स्वर्गको देनेवाला है (गीता 2। 32)। भगवान् कहते हैं कि भैया तू पापपुण्यका निर्णय अपने मनमाने ढंगसे कर रहा है तुझे तो इस विषयमें शास्त्रको प्रमाण रखना चाहिये। शास्त्रकी आज्ञा समझकर ही तुझे कर्तव्यकर्म करना चाहिये। इसका तात्पर्य यह है कि युद्धरूप क्रिया बाँधनेवाली नहीं है? प्रत्युत स्वार्थ और अभिमान रखकर की हुई शास्त्रीय क्रिया (यज्ञ? दान आदि) ही बाँधनेवाली होती है और मनमाने ढंगसे (शास्त्रविपरीत) की हुई क्रिया तो पतन करनेवाली होती है।स्वतः प्राप्त युद्धरूप क्रिया क्रूर और हिंसारूप दीखती हुई भी पापजनक नहीं होती (गीता 18। 47)। तात्पर्य है कि स्वभावनियत कर्म करता हुआ सर्वथा स्वार्थरहित मनुष्य पापको प्राप्त नहीं होता अर्थात् ब्राह्मण? क्षत्रिय? वैश्य और शूद्र -- इनके स्वभावके अनुसार शास्त्रोंने जो आज्ञा दी है? उसके अनुसार कर्म करनेसे मनुष्यको पाप नहीं लगता। पाप लगता है -- स्वार्थसे? अभिमानसे और दूसरोंका अनिष्ट सोचनेसे।मनुष्यजन्मकी सार्थकता यही है कि वह शरीरप्राणोंके मोहमें न फँसकर केवल परमात्मप्राप्तिके उद्देश्यसे शास्त्रविहित कर्मोंको करे।इस प्रकार ? तत्? सत् -- इन भगवन्नामोंके उच्चारणपूर्वक ब्रह्मविद्या और योगशास्त्रमय श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतोपनिषद्रूप श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादमें दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोग नामक सोलहवाँ अध्याय पूर्ण हुआ।।16।।

One should therefore understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.

As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all the rules and regulations of the Vedas are meant for knowing Kṛṣṇa. If one understands Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā and becomes situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this process very easy: He asked people simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and to engage in the devotional service of the Lord and eat the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Deity. One who is directly engaged in all these devotional activities is to be understood as having studied all Vedic literature. He has come to the conclusion perfectly. Of course, for the ordinary persons who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or who are not engaged in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not to be done must be decided by the injunctions of the Vedas . One should act accordingly, without argument. That is called following the principles of śāstra, or scripture. Śāstra is without the four principal defects that are visible in the conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being illusioned. These four principal defects in conditioned life disqualify one from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the rules and regulations as described in the śāstra – being above these defects – are accepted without alteration by all great saints, ācāryas and great souls. In India there are many parties of spiritual understanding, generally classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them, however, lead their lives according to the principles of the Vedas . Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage. One who actually, therefore, understands the purport of the śāstras is considered fortunate. In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns. That is the greatest offense of human life. Therefore, māyā, the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the holy man, and deride the proper understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They disobey the instructions of the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures. In spite of hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted. Thus they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human society which lead to the demoniac status of life. If, however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage, then one’s life becomes successful. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta s to the Sixteenth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of the Divine and Demoniac Natures.