द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
इस संसारमें क्षर नाशवान् और अक्षर अविनाशी ये दो प्रकारके पुरुष हैं । सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके शरीर नाशवान् और कूटस्थ जीवात्मा अविनाशी कहा जाता है ॥
English
In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the perishable and the imperishable. All embodied beings are perishable; the steadfast one is called imperishable.
What this verse means
There are two kinds of existence here: what changes and what does not. Bodies pass away, but the unchanging reality within remains.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna widens the frame beyond the war: all bodies are temporary, but the steady reality within them is not. This verse prepares Arjuna to act without mistaking the body for the whole person.
Why this verse still matters
You watch a loved one age in a hospital room and feel time stripping everything away. This verse reminds you that what changes is not the deepest reality of a person.
The takeaway
You can stop clinging to what fades and rest in what does not.
Word-by-word translation
द्वौ (two) / इमौ (these) / पुरुषौ (beings) / लोके (in the world) / क्षरः (perishable) / च (and) / अक्षरः (imperishable) / एव (indeed) / च (and) / क्षरः (perishable) / सर्वाणि (all) / भूतानि (beings) / कूटस्थः (steadfast) / अक्षरः (imperishable) / उच्यते (is called)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga — The Yoga of the Supreme Person, which contains 20 verses.
Explore related themes: akshara (12 verses)