Bhagavad Gita 2.26

Even if one thinks the self is born and dies repeatedly, grief is still not fitting.

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्।
तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि॥

atha cainaṃ nityajātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam
tathāpi tvaṃ mahābāho naivaṃ śocitum arhasi

Translation

"Suppose instead you hold that it is born again and again and dies again and again. Even then, mighty-armed Arjuna, grief is not fitting."

Hindi

"और यदि तुम इसे बार-बार जन्म लेने वाला और बार-बार मरने वाला मानते हो, तब भी, महाबाहु, तुम्हें इस प्रकार शोक नहीं करना चाहिए।"

Commentary

Krishna now argues from the opposite side. Even if one thinks that a person is born and perishes with the body, as materialists held, grief is still pointless, because the reason is given in 2.27. It shows that the Gita does not rest its case on a single belief.

Characters in this verse

Krishnaकृष्ण

Arjunaअर्जुन