1 · Learn3 of 6 · 5 min
Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.38
सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥ ३८ ॥
sukha-duḥkhe same kṛtvā
lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva
naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
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.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Fight without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat; then you will not incur sin.
Kṛṣṇa wants Arjuna to fight. Acting for Kṛṣṇa brings no material reaction, while acting for personal enjoyment brings good or bad reactions.
One who has completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa is no longer indebted or obliged to anyone else.
Fight for the sake of duty — Krishna concludes this section by saying that Arjuna should not make decisions based on material happiness or distress, rather fight for the sake of his duty and thus be purified
Which is sinful: “Fighting or not fighting”
Arjuna reasoned earlier that fighting the battle would cause him to suffer prolonged sinful reactions, but here Krishna explains that no sin will be incurred by one who executes his duty in the proper consciousness
Transcendental consciousness
Everything is performed for the sake of Krishna
No consideration of happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat
Applying to Arjuna’s case – ‘Fighting for the sake of fighting because Lord desires the battle’
Material consciousness — To act for one’s own sense gratification either in goodness or in passion
Result – One is subject to reaction, good or bad
Krishna conscious devotee is beyond obligations — Ref. SB 11.5.41 “devarsi-bhutapta…”
One who is completely surrendered to the activities of Krishna consciousness is no longer obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as in the ordinary course of activities
No obligation or debts to demigods, sages, people in general, kinsmen, humanity, forefathers
Indirect hint given to Arjuna by this verse
By acting in Krishna consciousness, one is beyond all mundane obligations
Texts 2.37 & 2.38
Krishna’s arguments give here are meant to inspire Arjuna to fight. They are a particular set of instructions that address material enjoyment (based upon identifying oneself with one’s body) as the motivating force behind Arjuna’s performance of duty. Krishna ends this section in the next verse and then takes the discussion (in Text 2.39) to the higher level of working in knowledge
Karma-kanda consciousness – By performing prescribed duties, gain material enjoyment:
Material gains (heaven or kingdom) from fighting
Material losses (infamy and sin) from not fighting
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 2.38 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?
Do one task today purely because it is right.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.