sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
sukha — happiness;
duḥkhe — in distress;
same kṛitvā — treating alike;
lābha-alābhau — gain and loss;
jaya-ajayau — victory and defeat;
tataḥ — thereafter;
yuddhāya — for fighting;
yujyasva — engage;
na — never;
evam — thus;
pāpam — sin;
avāpsyasi — shall incur
In this verse, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that he should fight in the battle just because it is his duty to do so. The idea here is to focus on doing the right thing without getting caught up in the feelings of happiness or sadness, winning or losing, or gaining and losing.
Krishna is saying that in the higher state of awareness, known as 'transcendental consciousness,' we shouldn't let these ups and downs sway us when we take actions. Instead, our actions should be like offerings to a higher purpose—like serving a cause or a greater good. This is about letting go of personal motives or desires when we act.
When we start to fight for our own reasons—whether we want enjoyment, to win, or to gain something—we'll start facing consequences for our actions, which can either be good or bad. But someone who dedicates their actions to a higher cause, like Krishna says, doesn’t have to worry about these consequences. They act without the burden of debt that usually comes with personal motives in everyday life.
Think of it this way: imagine a soldier fighting in a war for his country. If he fights because he believes in what he is doing, he is doing his duty and not worrying about whether he wins or loses, or if he's happy or sad about it. That soldier won’t feel guilty or 'sinful' about his actions because he is committed to something greater than himself.
In ordinary life, we often calculate consequences based on our successes and failures—like if we do a task at work solely to get a promotion or praise, we might feel down if it doesn't happen. But Krishna teaches that if we focus on the action itself and the duty required of us, without being attached to the outcome, we can achieve peace of mind. We can work hard and do our best, but the results won’t affect our sense of self-worth or happiness as much.
So, Krishna is encouraging Arjuna, and all of us, to act in life with a sense of duty and purpose, free from the chains of expectations of rewards or results. This way, we can perform our actions smoothly and with clarity, without any inner turmoil or guilt, as we move through life.