Bhagavad Gita BG 2.26
Chapter 2, Verse 26 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् । तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २६ ॥
atha cainaṃ nitya-jātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam tathāpi tvaṃ mahā-bāho naivam śocitum arhasi
Meaning
If, however, you think that the soul is perpetually born and perpetually dies — even so, O mighty-armed, you have no reason to lament.
Understanding
A pragmatic concession: even if you cannot accept the philosophical teaching about the eternal soul, even if you believe the soul is born and dies repeatedly — grief is still irrational. Why? Because what comes will go, and what goes will come again. The cycle continues. Grief over the inevitable is still pointless. Krishna offers this alternative argument for those who cannot yet fully accept the Sankhya view.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अथ च | atha ca | if however / now if |
| नित्यजातम् | nitya-jātam | perpetually born / always being born |
| नित्यम् मृतम् | nityam mṛtam | perpetually dying / always dying |
| तथापि | tathāpi | even so / nevertheless |
| महाबाहो | mahā-bāho | O mighty-armed one |
| न शोचितुम् अर्हसि | na śocitum arhasi | you should not lament / you are not justified in grieving |
| एनम् | enam | this / it (the soul) |
| मन्यसे | manyase | you think / you believe |
| त्वम् | tvam | you |
| न एव | naiva | certainly not / not even so |
| एवम् | evam | thus / like this |