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Rāja-vidyā: The King of Knowledge
People are actually confused as to what is work ( karma ) and what is not work ( akarma ). Kṛṣṇa here indicates that even great scholars ( kavayaḥ ) are bewildered about the nature of work. It is necessary to know which activities are genuine and which are not, which are bona fide and which are not, which are prohibited and which are not. If we understand the principle of work, we can become free from material bondage. It is therefore necessary to know how to conduct work so that when we leave the material body we will no longer be forced to take another but will be free to enter into the spiritual sky. The principle of proper work is clearly stated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the last verse of the Eleventh Chapter:
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava
“My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contamination of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.” (Bg. 11.55)
This one verse is sufficient for understanding the essence of  Bhagavad-gītā . One must be engaged in “My work.” And what is this work? It is indicated in the last instruction in  Bhagavad-gītā  in which Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna to surrender unto Him (Bg. 18.66).
By the example of Arjuna we are to learn that we should only perform work which is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. This is the mission of human life, but we do