सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ | ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ||२-३८||
sukhaduḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau . tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṃ pāpamavāpsyasi ||2-38||
Chapter 2 · Verse 38
Sankhya Yoga
सांख्ययोग
In plain words
You must cultivate a balanced mind by treating pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat as exactly the same. When you act with this inner poise, you perform karma, or action, without being bound by its consequences. By staying detached from the results, you protect yourself from sin and purify your heart.
Translation
2.38 Holding pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat as alike, gird yourself up for the battle. Thus, you shall not incur any sin.
Meaning
This is the Yoga of eanimity or the doctrine of poise in action. If anyone does any action with the above mental attitude or balanced state of mind he will not reap the fruits of his action. Such an action will lead to the purification of his heart and freedom from birth and death. One has to develop such a balanced state of mind through continous struggle and vigilant efforts.
Word by word
सुखदुःखे pleasure and pain समे same कृत्वा having made लाभालाभौ gain and loss जयाजयौ victory and defeat ततः then युद्धाय for battle युज्यस्व engage thou न not एवम् thus पापम् sin अवाप्स्यसि shalt incur.