Shloka 38

कर्मयोग–ज्ञानयज्ञ–अवतारोपदेश

Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yajña, and Avatāra Instruction

Devanagari script

सम्बन्ध-- उपर्युक्त श्लोकम्ों भगवान्‌ने युद्धका फल राज्ययुख या स्वर्गकी प्राप्तितक बतलाया

Transliteration

sukha-duḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau | tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: “Having made pleasure and pain equal in your mind, and likewise gain and loss, victory and defeat, then commit yourself to battle. If you fight in this spirit of inner equanimity and duty, you will not incur sin.”

Word by Word

• सुखदुःखे: pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखे: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• समे: equal
• समे: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• कृत्वा: having made (considering)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• लाभालाभौ: gain and non-gain (loss)
• लाभालाभौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ-अलाभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• जयाजयौ: victory and defeat
• जयाजयौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय-अजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• युज्यस्व: engage (yourself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज्
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Ātmanepada, Second, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain/incur
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप्
• Form: Luṭ (periphrastic future) / simple future usage, Parasmaipada, Second, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• battle (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should perform one’s duty with equanimity—treating pleasure/pain, gain/loss, victory/defeat alike—so that action is not driven by attachment and does not generate moral fault.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports the instruction being given to Arjuna: since Arjuna is not motivated by desire for kingdom or heaven, he is urged to fight from a stance of balanced mind and duty, thereby avoiding sin.