Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]Having known this, even the ancient seekers of liberation performed action; therefore do thou perform action, as the ancients did in the olden time.
BG 4.15
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः । कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥
evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ | kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataram kṛtam ||
"The ancient seekers of liberation knew this — and they acted. Therefore you too must act, following the ancients."
All public-domain translations
5 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]Having known this, the ancient seekers for liberation also performed action; therefore do thou also perform action, as did the ancients in the olden time.
William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)
[6]Even the ancient seekers of salvation knew this and performed their duties. Do thou also perform thy duty as did the ancients.
Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)
[7]So have the ancient saints and sages wrought; Do thou the work that waits for thee to do.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]Even the ancient seekers of liberation performed actions, having known this. Therefore perform action as the ancients did in former times.