Chapter 2 Verse 18

 

Verse 18:

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ता: शरीरिण: |

अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत || 18||

Transliteration:

Antavanta ime dehA nityasyoktAH sharIriNaha.

anAshino.aprameyasya tasmAdyudhyasva bhArata..18..

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Word-by-word Meaning:

अन्त​-वन्त – that which has end; इमे – these; देहा – these bodies; नित्यस्य -  (of the ) imperishable; उक्ताः – it is told; शरीरिणः – those which possess the bodies; अनाशिनः – indestructible; अप्रमेयस्य – immeasurable; तस्मात् – therefore; युध्यस्व – engage in the war;भारत – O descendant of Bharata.

Meaning:

O descendant of Bharata, it is told that only these bodies are destructible, the imperishable, immeasurable soul is indestructible. Therefore, engage in the war.

Significance:

The usage of the word ‘tasmAt’ indicates that Lord Krishna is now trying to summarise His words. Lord Krishna has already told that bodies are perishable, soul is all-pervading, soul is indestructible. That which has a beginning and end is unreal and that which has no beginning and end is real. The soul is immeasurable, and the destruction of the body will never affect the soul. Having told all these, Lord also told that lamenting for the destruction of body is not worthy and for the destruction of soul is unwanted (as it is eternal). Lord, in this verse thus instructs Arjuna to engage in the war which is just doing his duty as a Kshatriya.

Chapter 2 Verse 17

 Verse 17

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।

 

विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ॥ १७॥

Transliteration:

avinAshi tu tadviddhi yena sarvamidaM tatam

vinAshamavyayasyAsya na kashcitkartumarhati..17..

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Word-by-word meaning:

अविनाशि – indestructible; तु – indeed; तत् – that; विद्धि – know; येन – by which; सर्वं – everything; इदं – thus; ततम् – pervades; विनाशम् – destruction अव्ययस्य – of the indestructible; अस्य – of this; न – not; कश्चित् – any; कर्तुम् – to do; अर्हसि – fit;

Meaning:

Indeed, know that that which pervades everything, is indestructible. No one can destruct this which is imperishable.

Significance:

The soul is indestructible, imperishable, all pervading. There may arise a question on where the soul resides in the body ? Again , if it resides in a particular place how it is called all-pervading ? For the first question – our Upanishads gives the answer. The soul resides in the heart . In Chandogya Upanishad we have the statement - sa vā eṣha ātmā hṛidi  Also in Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says He resides in the heart of every being. Coming to the next question, if Soul resides at one place in the body who can it be all pervading, it can be explained with an example. A flower is in a branch of a plant in a garden. But its fragrance pervades all through the garden. Thus, the soul pervades the body by pervading its consciousness.

Chapter 2 Verse 16

 

Verse 16

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सत: |

उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभि: || 16||

Transliteration

nAsato vidyate bhAvo nAbhAvo vidyate sataH.

ubhayorapi drishtontastvanayostattvadarshibhiH.. 16 ..

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Word by word meaning:

न – not; असतः – (of the) temporary; विद्यते – there is ; न – not; अभावः – absence; भावः – existence; विद्यते – there is; सतः – (of the) permanent; उभयोः – (of the)two; अपि – also; दृष्टः – observed; अन्तः – difference; तु – indeed; अनयोः – of these; तत्त्व – essence; दर्शिभिः – (by the) seers;

Meaning:

The temporary does not existence, the permanent has no non-existence ; The seers of the essence observed the difference between these two.

Significance:

This is one of the most important verse in Bhagavad Gita. The words ‘sat’ and ‘asat’ are decoded in Indian philosphies according to the path their principles. Here we decode the word ‘sat’- as eternal and ‘asat’ – as temporary. The soul is sat and the body is asat. The soul is imperishable, the body is perishable. The word ‘asat’ should not be confused with ‘mitya’, which means unreal. This is termed as the basic knowledge requirement to proceed into the enquiry of Brahman.

Chapter 2 Verse 15

 

Verse 15:

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ |
समदु:खसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते || 15||

Transliteration:

Yam hi na vyathayantyete puruShaM puruSharShabha.

samadhuHkhasukhaM dhIraM so.amrutatvAya kalpate..15..

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Word by word meaning:

यं – who; हि – indeed; न – do not; व्यथयन्ति – disturbed एते – (by) these; पुरुषं – person; पुरुषर्षभ -  best among men; सम- equal; दु:ख-सुखं – sorrow and happiness; धीरं – wise person; स: -  he; अमृतत्वाय -  (for)liberation; कल्पते – fit;

Meaning:

O Best among men, that wise person who is indeed not disturbed, who remains the same in happiness and sorrow, he is eligible for liberation.

Significance:

The word ‘Purusha’ is used here to address the inner self. That inner self, which even when is inside a body with sense organs, with those sense organs getting driven by sense objects, with the body experiencing pain / pleasure, remains equipoise in all situations. This state is not the liberated state, but this is the process to attain mukti. Those who are not overpowered by senses are eligible for travelling in the path to attain mukti. We must learn to tolerate the feelings risen by the contact of the sense organs with the objects and win over them by determination.

Chapter 2 Verse 14

 

Verse – 14

 

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: |

आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत || 14||

 

Transliteration:

mAtrAsparshAstu kauteya shItoShNasukhaduHkhadAH .

AgamApAyino.anityAstAMstitikShasva bhArata..14

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Word – by word meaning:

मात्रास्पर्शा:- contact of the senses; स्तु – indeed; कौन्तेय – son of Kunti; शीतोष्ण – cold/heat; सुख-दु:खदा: - gives happiness or sadness; आगम – Agama; अपायिनः – go; अनित्या: - non-permanent; तांस्तितिक्षस्व – endure them; भारत – Descendant of Bharatha.

Meaning:

O Son of Kunti, the contact of senses with the objects gives us the feel of heat / cold, happiness/ sorrow. These are not permanent, they come and go, so endure them , O descendant of Bharatha !

Significance:

mAtrAsparsha – is the contact of the sense organs – eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue, with their respective objects. When this contact occurs, we experience heat / cold / happiness / sorrow. Lord Krishna says this experience is not permanent, an object which gives pleasure to us in one situation can give us sorrow in another. The same object becomes the reason for happiness and sorrow for the same individual. For example: Taking bath in cold water in summer season gives us pleasure, while the same does not give pleasure in winter season. Thus, these experiences that we get by the contact of sense organs with objects are not permanent. Lord Krishna says that one should learn to tolerate these with discrimination, fortitude and patience and be neutral in all situations. These situations will soon pass by themselves as they are non-permanent. Being non disturbed by external things is the quality of a determined person.