Chapter 2, Verse 26 (Bhagavad Gita 2.26)
Chapter 2: Sānkhya Yog – Transcendental Knowledge
Sanskrit Shloka
अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्। तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि
Transliteration
atha chainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛitam tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho naivaṁ śhochitum arhasi
Word Meanings
atha—if, however; cha—and; enam—this soul; nitya-jātam—taking constant birth; nityam—always; vā—or; manyase—you think; mṛitam—dead; tathā api—even then; tvam—you; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one, Arjun; na—not; evam—like this; śhochitum—grieve; arhasi—befitting
Translation
But even if you consider the Self as subject to constant birth and death, even then, O mighty-armed one, you should not grieve.
Meaning & Commentary
Krishna employs a clever philosophical concession here to address Arjuna's worldly attachment. He suggests that even if one adopts a strictly materialistic view of life—where birth and death are inevitable, cyclic events—grief remains illogical because change is the very nature of existence. This teaches us that suffering arises not from the events themselves, but from our resistance to the transient flow of nature. By accepting the impermanence of all things, we liberate ourselves from the paralyzing grip of sorrow. Ultimately, this wisdom invites us to perform our duties with detachment, understanding that the cycle of change is constant and beyond our emotional control.