तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ | ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ||
tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākārya-vyavasthitau jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi
Translation
Therefore, scripture is your authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Knowing what is laid down in scriptural ordinance, you should perform actions here.
Interpretation
Chapter 16 concludes with the validation of shastra (scripture/tradition) as the authority for discerning right from wrong action. This is not a call to blind orthodoxy but to informed practice: the wisdom encoded in genuine spiritual tradition is a reliable guide precisely because it emerges from the experience of those who have gone beyond desire, anger, and greed. Knowing the shastra's teachings and acting accordingly is the practical path for the aspirant who has not yet attained the direct inner compass of self-realization. As understanding deepens, the inner voice of wisdom (antaryami) becomes increasingly clear.