Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, 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

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ដោយធ្វើឲ្យសុខនិងទុក្ខស្មើគ្នានៅក្នុងចិត្ត ហើយដូចគ្នានោះទៀត—ចំណេញនិងខាត, ជ័យជម្នះនិងបរាជ័យ—បន្ទាប់មកចូរចូលរួមសង្គ្រាម។ ប្រសិនបើអ្នកប្រយុទ្ធដោយចិត្តសមធម៌បែបនេះ អ្នកនឹងមិនទទួលបាបឡើយ»។

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.