Word meanings
- atha
- if, however
- ca
- and
- enam
- this soul
- nitya-jātam
- taking constant birth
- nityam
- always
- vā
- or
- manyase
- you think
- mṛtam
- dead
- tathā api
- even then
- tvam
- you
- mahā-bāho
- mighty-armed one, Arjun
- na
- not
- evam
- like this
- śocitum
- grieve
- arhasi
- befitting
Translations
But even if thou thinkest of It as constantly being born and constantly dying, even then, O mighty-armed one, thou shouldst not grieve.
Even if thou thinkest of it as constantly being born and constantly dying, O Mighty Man, thou still hast no cause to grieve.
On the other hand, if you think this One is born continually or constantly dies, even then, O mighty-armed one, you should not grieve.
हे महाबाहो ! अगर तुम इस देहीको नित्य पैदा होनेवाला अथवा नित्य मरनेवाला भी मानो, तो भी तुम्हें इस प्रकार शोक नहीं करना चाहिये।Commentary
Lord Krishna here, for the sake of argument, takes up the popular supposition. Granting that the Self is again and again born whenever a body comes into being, and again and again dies whenever the body dies? O mightyarmed (O Arjuna of great valour and strength), thou shouldst not grieve thus, because birth is inevitable to want is dead and death is inevitable to what is born. This is the inexorable or unrelenting Law of Nature.