Read a Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on this Verse
Sau%du"%e SaMae k*-Tva l/a>aal/a>aaE JaYaaJaYaaE )
TaTaae YauÖaYa YauJYaSv NaEv& PaaPaMavaPSYaiSa )) 38 ))
sukha-duùkhe same kåtvä
läbhäläbhau jayäjayau
tato yuddhäya yujyasva
naivaà päpam aväpsyasi
SYNONYMS
sukha-happiness; duùkhe-and distress; same-in equanimity; kåtvä-doing so; läbha-aläbhau-both profit and loss; jaya-ajayau-both victory and defeat; tataù-thereafter; yuddhäya-for the sake of fighting; yujyasva-engage (fight); na-never; evam-in this way; päpam-sinful reaction; aväpsyasi-you will gain.
TRANSLATION
Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat-and by so doing you shall never incur sin.
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa now directly says that Arjuna should fight for the sake of fighting because He desires the battle. There is no consideration of happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat in the activities of Kåñëa consciousness. That everything should be performed for the sake of Kåñëa is transcendental consciousness; so there is no reaction to material activities. He who acts for his own sense gratification, either in goodness or in passion, is subject to the reaction, good or bad. But he who has completely surrendered himself in the activities of Kåñëa consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as one is in the ordinary course of activities. It is said:
devarñi-bhütäpta-nåëäà pitèëäà
na kiìkaro näyam åëé ca räjan
sarvätmanä yaù çaraëaà çaraëyaà
gato mukundaà parihåtya kartam
"Anyone who has completely surrendered unto Kåñëa, Mukunda, giving up all other duties, is no longer a debtor, nor is he obliged to anyone-not the demigods, nor the sages, nor the people in general, nor kinsmen, nor humanity, nor forefathers." (Bhäg. 11.5.41) That is the indirect hint given by Kåñëa to Arjuna in this verse, and the matter will be more clearly explained in the following verses.
