अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् ।
तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥
तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे महाबाहो अगर तुम इस देहीको नित्य पैदा होनेवाला अथवा नित्य मरनेवाला भी मानो, तो भी तुम्हें इस प्रकार शोक नहीं करना चाहिये ॥
English
O mighty-armed one, even if you think this embodied being is always born and always dies, you still should not grieve like this.
What this verse means
Even if you see this embodied being as something that keeps being born and dying, grief is still not fitting. Krishna is pushing Arjuna beyond sorrow itself.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield at Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen by sorrow while Krishna keeps dismantling his fear. After explaining the imperishable nature of the embodied being, Krishna adds one more step: even under a simpler view of life and death, grief is still not the right response.
Why this verse still matters
You are sitting beside a hospital bed, bracing for news you cannot control. Even if you think only in terms of birth and death, panic does not help you meet the moment.
The takeaway
You do not need to collapse into grief just because change is happening.
Word-by-word translation
अथ (even then) / च (also) / एनम् (this) / नित्यजातम् (always born) / नित्यम् (always) / वा (or) / मन्यसे (you think) / मृतम् (dead) / तथापि (even so) / त्वम् (you) / महाबाहो (mighty-armed one) / नैवम् (not like this) / शोचितुम् (to grieve) / अर्हसि (you should)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), grief (10 verses)