Chapter 2 · Verse 26

Transcendental Knowledge

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्। तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि

atha chainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛitam tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho naivaṁ śhochitum arhasi

Word Meanings

atha — if, however; cha — and; enam — this soul; nitya-jātam — taking constant birth; nityam — always; vā — or; manyase — you think; mṛitam — dead; tathā api — even then; tvam — you; mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one, Arjun; na — not; evam — like this; śhochitum — grieve; arhasi — befitting

Language:

Translation

Even if you consider the soul to be perpetually born and perpetually dying, still, O mighty-armed one, you have no reason to grieve.

Commentary

अथ now? च and? एनम् this (Self)? नित्यजातम् constantly born? नित्यम् constantly? वा or? मन्यसे thinkest? मृतम् dead? तथापि even then? त्वम् thou? महाबाहो mightyarmed? न not? एवम् thus? शोचितुम् to grieve? अर्हसि (thou) oughtest.Commentary Lord Krishna here? for the sake of argument? takes up the popular supposition. Granting that the Self is again and again born whenever a body comes into being? and again and again dies whenever the body dies? O mightyarmed (O Arjuna of great valour and strength)? thou shouldst not grieve thus? because birth is inevitable to want is dead and death is inevitable to what is born. This is the inexorable or unrelenting Law of Nature.