Whether action becomes sin or spiritual advancement depends entirely on whose satisfaction motivates it.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 1.44 — July 31, 1973, London 730731BG-LONDON [31:29 Minutes] Bg-01.44_730731BG-LONDON Pradyumna: Translation: "Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness." Prabhupāda: aho bata mahat-pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ [Bg. 1.44] So, sometimes Arjuna is accused, Bhagavad-gītā is also accused, that "There is violence. There is violence. Bhagavad-gītā is full of violence." Yes, it is full of violence, the warfield. But here the Vaiṣṇava thinking..., Arjuna is thinking that it was arranged for his rājya-sukha.
Yad rājya-sukha-lobhena. Lobhena. It was arranged for the satisfaction of Arjuna so that he could enjoy the kingdom and the happiness thereof. Actually, it was not so.
It was arranged by Kṛṣṇa for His satisfaction, not for Arjuna's satisfaction. So that is the difference between ordinary work and devotional service. Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house.
The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing. And eating, they are also eating.
Then where is the difference?" They may think that "Where is the difference between devotional service and ordinary work?" It looks almost equal. Therefore people misunderstand that Bhagavad-gītā is ordinary warfare, violence. But it is not that. It is arranged by Kṛṣṇa because, to fulfill His mission. His mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam [Bg. 4.8].
That is His satisfaction, not Arjuna's satisfaction, not anyone's satisfaction. It is His plan. He comes, He descends on this planet, in this universe, just to establish the real purpose of religious life and to kill, to vanquish those who are opposing the real purpose of life, human life. That is His mission, simultaneously two things.
Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam. So svajanam... aho bata mahat-pāpaṁ kartuṁ vyavasitā vayam yad rājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṁ svajanam udyatāḥ [Bg. 1.44] Svajanam means kinsmen. So kinsmen does not mean, in higher sense, only my brother or my sister or my father or my uncle. No. Svajanam means all living entities.