B.G 18.08

दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात् त्यजेत्। स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥८॥

duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśabhayāt tyajet। sa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet ॥8॥

[दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering; इति (iti) - thus; एव (eva) - only; यत् (yat) - which; कर्म (karma) - action; कायक्लेश (kāyakleśa) - bodily discomfort; भयात् (bhayāt) - out of fear; त्यजेत् (tyajet) - relinquishes; सः (saḥ) - he; कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having done; राजसम् (rājasam) - passionate; त्यागम् (tyāgam) - relinquishment; न (na) - not; एव (eva) - indeed; त्यागफलम् (tyāgaphalam) - fruit of renunciation; लभेत् (labhet) - obtains;]

He who renounces action only because it is suffering, out of fear of bodily discomfort, having performed such passionate 'rajasic' relinquishment, does not indeed obtain the fruits of relinquishment.

Gīta Tātparya 18.08

The suffering mentioned is the mental-suffering, observed when devoid of delusion. The word 'duḥkham' is used for mental suffering alone in ancient sanskrit literature, while 'āyāsaḥ' i.e. exertion, is considered for external physical suffering.

मोहं विना दृष्टदुःखमित्येव। दुःखशब्देन केवलमानसम्। कायक्लेशस्य पृथगुक्तेः।

mohaṁ vinā dṛṣṭaduḥkhamityeva। duḥkhaśabdena kevalamānasam। kāyakleśasya pṛthagukteḥ।

[मोहं (mohaṁ) - delusion; विना (vinā) - without; दृष्टदुःखम् (dṛṣṭaduḥkham) - visible suffering; इति (iti) - thus; एव (eva) - indeed; दुःखशब्देन (duḥkhaśabdena) - by the word 'suffering'; केवलम् (kevalam) - only; मानसम् (mānasam) - mental; कायक्लेशस्य (kāyakleśasya) - of bodily pain; पृथगुक्तेः (pṛthagukteḥ) - due to separate mention;]

The suffering mentioned is the one observed when devoid of delusion. The word 'duḥkha' is used to reffer to mental suffering alone. Bodily pain is mentioned separately.

"दुःखं तु मानसं ज्ञेयमायासो बाह्य उच्यते। विशेषस्य विवक्षायामन्यथा सर्वमेव तु॥"

"duḥkhaṃ tu mānasaṃ jñeyamāyāso bāhya ucyate। viśeṣasya vivakṣāyāmanyathā sarvameva tu॥"

[दुःखं (duḥkham) - sorrow; तु (tu) - but; मानसं (mānasam) - mental; ज्ञेयम् (jñeyam) - to be known; आयासः (āyāsaḥ) - effort; बाह्यः (bāhyaḥ) - external; उच्यते (ucyate) - is said; विशेषस्य (viśeṣasya) - of distinction; विवक्षायाम् (vivakṣāyām) - in intention; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; एव (eva) - indeed; तु (tu) - but;]

"The word 'duḥkham' i.e. suffering, is recognized as mental, while 'āyāsaḥ' i.e. exertion is considered external. Both are suffering, but a distinction is to be made, especially regarding its intention."

इति शब्दनिर्णये॥

iti śabdanirṇaye॥

[इति (iti) - thus; शब्द (śabda) - word; निर्णये (nirṇaye) - in the decision;]

- stated thus in the ancient text Shabdanirṇaya.