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Chapter 02 Verse 26
श्रीभगवानुवाच:
अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् |
तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि || 26 ||
sri-bhagavan uvaca:
atha cainam nityajatam nityam va manyase mrtam |
tathapi tvam mahabaho naivam socitum arhasi || 26 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
श्रीभगवानुवाच ( sri-bhagavan uvaca) |
The Supreme Lord said: This marks Krishna’s first direct speech in the Bhagavad Gita, where he begins guiding Arjuna. |
|
अथ (atha) |
But if |
|
च (ca) |
Also |
|
एनम् (enam) |
This (soul) |
|
नित्यजातम् (nityajatam) |
Perpetually born |
|
नित्यम् (nityam) |
Always |
|
वा (va) |
Or |
|
मन्यसे (manyase) |
You think |
|
मृतम् (martam) |
Always dying |
|
तथापि (tathapi) |
Even then |
|
त्वम् (tvam) |
You |
|
महाबाहो (mahabaho) |
O mighty-armed one (Arjuna) |
|
न (na) |
Not |
|
एवं (evam) |
Thus |
|
शोचितुम् (socitum) |
To grieve |
|
अर्हसि (arhasi) |
You should |
Translation
“But even if you assume that the soul is always born and always dies, O transcendentally powerful Arjuna, then still you should not grieve.”
Context of the Verse
Krishna also gives a materialistic argument to calm Arjuna. Krishna hears the idea of an everlasting soul and one that all that exists is matter that dies altogether and offers this consideration. If beings are a continued process of birth and death, it does not add up to mourn over that which is inevitable. Krishna uses the invocation ” mahabaho ” (having mighty arms) in order to remind Arjuna of his warrior consciousness and encourage him to take action with courage.
Whether one accepts the idea of an eternal soul or the idea of reincarnation, Krishna is showing Arjuna that it is unnecessary to grieve. Rather, Arjuna simply needs to do the best of his abilities, with no attachments or worry over that which will no longer be.
Explanation
Atma is unimaginable from the view of an atheist, it may be impossible unless someone is austere or devoted. The soul is an incredibly difficult subject. But even if, a common person cannot comprehend the everlasting existence of the soul. Now Lord Krishna says: Once you think that this consciousness is a function of matter under certain mature material combinations this gross body creates consciousness. And if it is all chemical, then you have no reason to lament, because this chemical is lost, that chemical is lost; who cries over chemical loss? So the rest of your relatives are purely chemical combinations. So who weeps for the loss of chemicals? So no matter what Krishna is telling, you are not supposed to grieve.
VERSE 27
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि || 27 ||
jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyur dhruvam janma mrtasya cha |
tasmad apariharye rthe na tvam socitum arhasi || 27 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
जातस्य (jatasya) |
For one who is born |
|
हि (hi) |
Certainly |
|
ध्रुवः (dhruvah) |
Inevitable |
|
मृत्युः (mrtyuh) |
Death |
|
ध्रुवम् (dhruvam) |
Certainly |
|
जन्म (janma) |
Birth |
|
मृतस्य (mrtasya) |
Of the dead |
|
च (cha) |
And |
|
तस्मात् (tasmat) |
Therefore |
|
अपरिहार्ये (apariharye) |
Unavoidable |
|
अर्थे (arthe) |
In this matter |
|
न (na) |
Not |
|
त्वम् (tvam) |
You |
|
शोचितुम् (socitum) |
To grieve |
|
अर्हसि (arhasi) |
You should |
Translation
“For the born, death is certain; for the dead, rebirth is inevitable. So, as this is inevitable, you cannot mourn.”
Context of the Verse
Krishna now states a universal truth of life and death that supports why Arjuna should not grieve.
Explanation
Everything that is born must die, and all death is rebirth, this cycle of birth and death is a given for any living and conscious entity. Embracing the inevitable, as this cycle is out of human reach, whining about it is pointless. Encouragement to face reality, accept the laws of nature with wisdom and courage rather than in emotional turmoil, Krishna exhorts Arjuna.
Krishna explains to Arjuna that death is a common and natural event. Because he can’t stop it, there’s no reason to grieve the deaths that will occur in battle. Instead, he should do his duty as a soldier.
VERSE 28
अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत |
अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना || 28 ||
avyaktadini bhutani vyaktamadhyani bharata |
avyaktanidhananyeva tatra ka paridevana || 28 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
अव्यक्तादीनि (avyaktadini) |
Unmanifest in the beginning |
|
भूतानि (bhutani) |
Living beings |
|
व्यक्तमध्यानि (vyaktamadhyani) |
Manifest in the middle |
|
भारत (bharata) |
O descendant of Bharata (Arjuna) |
|
अव्यक्तनिधनानि (avyaktanidhanani) |
Unmanifest again after death |
|
एव (eva) |
Indeed |
|
तत्र (tatra) |
In this situation |
|
का (ka) |
What |
|
परिदेवना (paridevana) |
Cause for lamentation |
Translation
“O Arjuna, all creatures are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in the middle, and unmanifest again in their end. So why grieve over this?”
Context of the Verse
These notes serve to show Krishna’s own reasoning for why Arjuna should not be sad, based on the temporary nature of physical life.
Explanation
The Soul is (actually) Beyond Birth and Death; Before birth, living beings do not manifest (in view), manifest for a short time, and then they do not manifest (in view) again after death.
Life is Just a Passing Phase; just as day evolves into night and then night evolves back into day, life in this material world is a passing phase.
No Reason to Grieve; Since manifestation and dissolution are natural processes, there is no reason to grieve.
Now Krishna is pitching out both sides of the coin. Unless you believe in the eternal existence of souls. And even 5000 years back, such philosophers existed, they were called Vaibhav Chikas Or look at yatikas. Some philosophers would say that consciousness emerges from chemical combinations. No one weeps for the death of chemicals, so anyhow. And just like any children they build some sand castles on the beach and then they take them down. Nobody weeps for the loss of fortresses in such a way, these bodies are only fortresses of Earth, which have been built together. Death is nothing but a dismantling of this castle. Why should you cry for it? And if you ever know that the soul is eternal by any means, then. The soul has always existed. It won the dress… and then it came back again. There is nothing to lament. In other words, Krishna is saying that no intelligent individual will ever sorrow in life. Lamentation and distress are only for persons who are in ignorance.
‘Brahma Bhuta Prasanna Aatma, Nashki Nakanishi, Shochi,’
Lamentation is not for those who understand the science of self. Prasanna Aatma they are always happy, so this happiness does not lie in working very hard for material success. Without this guy, the Lord has given him the best minds of society, who are wasting their time thinking that material arrangements will make us happy. Know that we are spirit souls. We need to be trained on all the material modifications and we need to rise from this platform to self-realization, then only can there be freedom from lamentation.