Skip to content

Bhagavad Gita 2.27

Death is certain for the born and birth for the dead, so grieving over the unavoidable is pointless.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च।
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि॥

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye 'rthe na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi

Translation

"Whoever is born will surely die, and whoever has died will surely be born again. Since this cannot be avoided, grief is out of place."

Hindi

"जो जन्मा है उसकी मृत्यु निश्चित है, और जो मरा है उसका जन्म भी निश्चित है। इसलिए जो टाला नहीं जा सकता, उस विषय में तुम्हें शोक नहीं करना चाहिए।"

Commentary

Birth and death are presented as a cycle, which is why the verse is often quoted as a statement of samsara. The practical message is that grief cannot change what is certain. It does not forbid sorrow, it asks Arjuna not to let sorrow stop his duty. 2.28 adds another reason.