Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 2 Sankhya Yogah

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् |
कथं स पुरुष: पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ||21||

Knowing the soul to be indestructible, unborn, and immutable, how can one think of it as a killer or be killed?

Avinashi: Indestructible.
Ajam: Unborn.
Katham: How or in what way.

Understanding the eternal and unchangeable nature of the soul, one should not consider themselves as the killer or the killed. This teaching is meant to encourage Arjuna to look beyond physical actions and comprehend the soul’s imperishable essence, which cannot be harmed or destroyed by any external force, making him rise above fear and doubt.

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वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि |
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ||22||

Just as a person discards worn-out clothes and wears new ones, the soul discards worn-out bodies and takes on new ones.

Vasamsi: Clothes or garments.
Jirnani: Old or worn out.
Dehi: Embodied soul.

Krishna likens the soul’s transition between bodies to a person changing worn-out clothes. Just as one discards old garments for new ones, the soul leaves a worn-out body for a new one. This analogy simplifies the concept of reincarnation, making it easier for Arjuna to understand and accept the inevitability of death and rebirth.

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नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: |
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुत: ||23||

The soul cannot be cut by weapons, burned by fire, moistened by water, or dried by wind. It is imperishable.

Shastrani: Weapons.
Pavaka: Fire.
Marutah: Wind or air.

The soul cannot be cut by weapons, burned by fire, moistened by water, or dried by wind. Krishna uses these vivid metaphors to emphasize the soul’s invulnerability and indestructible nature. By doing so, he seeks to alleviate Arjuna’s fears of harming or being harmed, redirecting his focus to the unchanging, eternal essence of the soul.

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अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च |
नित्य: सर्वगत: स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातन: ||24||

The soul is indestructible, immovable, and eternal. It cannot be damaged by any external force.

Acchedyah: Cannot be cut.
Adahyah: Cannot be burned.
Sanatanah: Eternal or perpetual.

Krishna describes the soul as indestructible, immovable, and eternal, unaffected by any physical force. This understanding is crucial for Arjuna, as it reassures him that no matter what happens in the battle, the soul remains unchanged and unaffected. This teaching encourages Arjuna to act without attachment or fear of loss.

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अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते |
तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ||25||

The soul is invisible, inconceivable, and unchangeable. Understanding this, one should not grieve for the body.

Avyakta: Unmanifest.
Acintya: Inconceivable.
Avikaryah: Immutable.

The soul is described as invisible, inconceivable, and unchangeable. Krishna advises Arjuna to not grieve for the body, as the soul transcends human comprehension and sensory perception. This teaching aims to help Arjuna detach from the limited understanding of the self as the physical body and instead see himself and others as eternal souls.

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अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् |
तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ||26||

Even if one believes the soul to be eternally born and dying repeatedly, still, there is no reason to grieve, O mighty-armed Arjuna.

Nitya: Always or eternal.
Jatam: Born.
Maha-baho: O mighty-armed one.

Even if Arjuna believes that the soul experiences repeated births and deaths, Krishna argues that there is no reason to grieve, as this cycle is inevitable. Death is merely a transition, not an end. This teaching seeks to diminish Arjuna’s fear of death and help him accept the impermanence of the physical body, which is subject to change.

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जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च |
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||27||

Death is certain for the born, and rebirth is inevitable for the dead. Therefore, one should not lament over the inevitable.

Dhruvah: Certain or inevitable.
Mrtyur: Death.
Apariharya: Unavoidable or inevitable.

Death is certain for those who are born, and rebirth is certain for the dead. This inevitability is part of life’s natural cycle. Krishna advises Arjuna not to lament over something that is beyond human control. By highlighting the certainty of death, Krishna aims to liberate Arjuna from his grief and fear, encouraging acceptance and detachment.

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