Skip to main content
October - December 2021

Bhagavad Gita Chapter II Sloka 26-28

Sloka 26

BHAGAVAN Sri Krishna taught atma- anatma viveka: (discrimination between the eternal Pure Consciousness and modifying Maya) in the earlier slokas –

I am not the body-mind complex but the body-mind complex depends upon me.

Bhagavan had explained Atma nitya: – I, Pure consciousness, am eternal in the following slokas.

na tvēvāhaṅ jātu nāsaṅ na tvaṅ nēmē janādhipāḥ.

best way to remove grief, Bhagavan explains in all ways to Arjuna.

na caiva na bhaviṣyāma sarvē

vayamata param৷৷ Gita #2.12৷৷

dēhinō.sminyathā dēhē kaumāraṅ yauvanaṅ jarā.

tathā dēhāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na

muhyati৷৷ Gita #2.13৷৷

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāya bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ‘yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre ||Gita #2.20||

In the three slokas #26-28, Bhagavan says – if one were to construe the body- mind complex to be the self, still there is no need to grieve. This is called Abhyupagama vaadam. This is another method that Bhagavan uses to remove Arjuna’s grief. Though atma jnana is the best way to remove grief, Bhagavan explains in all ways to Arjuna.

अथ चैनं िन यजातं िन यं वा म यसे मृतम्। तथािप वं महाबाहो नैवं

शो चतुमह स।।2.26।।

mahābāhō – one with strong shoulders atha ca – in case

vā manyasē – you construe

enaatma

nityajātaṅ – always subject to birth nityaṅ mṛtam – always subject to death tathāpi – yet

naivaṅ śōcitumarhasi – there is nothing to worry about

To think -I am this body which is subject to birth and death – is dehatma vaadam.

In this sloka, Bhagavan says:

Even in case you construe the body to

be the self, when you know that the body is subject to birth and death – why grieve about it? There is no need to rejoice over the born or mourn over the dead. The reason one grieves is attachment.  Even

from anatma drishti, Bhagavan says there

na tvaṅ śōcitum arhasi – not to grieve about

 

Even Bhagavan’s avataram has an

 

is no need to grieve.

 

Sloka 27

 

जात य िह  ुवो मृ य ु

 

 

ुव ं ज म मृत य च।

end; so is it for everyone.

 

Re-birth

If there is no re-birth, then what happens to the paapa-punya of every

 

त मादप रहाय ऽथ न  वं शो चतुमह स।।2.27।।

 

One who is born is bound to die and the dead are re-born.

 

That everyone who is born dies is a natural happening that we evidence. But that the Jivatma has re-birth is known from the sastras and some rare people recalling their earlier birth. It can also be understood from our experience of jagrat (waking), svapna (dream) and sushupti

jiva? Bhagavan cannot give a fresh circumstance to jivas without considering jiva’s paapa-punya, then he would be charged of partiality.

 

Capital punishment is accepted in Dharma sastra based on Hindu philosophy of re-birth. There is no eternal heaven or eternal hell as in other religions. We believe that life is an opportunity to break from the cycle of janmas or to elevate to better births.

 

(sleep) states. Death is like sleep and re- birth is like waking from sleep.

 

This universe is always subject to modifications with constant movement of atoms, but it never undergoes total creation or total destruction. There is electricity supply, commutation and communication facilities which were not available in the yesteryears. There are so many innovations and updates ever happening.

 

hi (nischayarthe)- certainly

jātasya mṛtyu dhruva: – the born is bound to die

mṛtasya ca janma dhruvaṅ – the dead

are sure to be re-born

aparihāryē.rthē – pariharam)

na tvaṅ śōcitum arhasi – not to grieve

about

Even Bhagavan’s avataram has an end; so is it for everyone.

Re-birth

If there is no re-birth, then what happens to the paapa-punya of every

jiva? Bhagavan cannot give a fresh circumstance to jivas without considering jiva’s paapa-punya, then he would be charged of partiality.

 

Capital punishment is accepted in Dharma sastra based on Hindu philosophy of re-birth. There is no eternal heaven or eternal hell as in other religions. We believe that life is an opportunity to break from the cycle of janmas or to elevate to better births.

Mahata punya pannyena kriyateyam kayanau stvayaa

param dukhodadhergantum tara

yavanna bhidyate

 

– We buy the boat of body with punya to cross over the ocean of sorrows and bondage.

The body which is made of five elements will merge with the five elements and will be born again of the five elements in a different form. So, even body only undergoes modifications and not destruction. It is truly an amazing cycle caused by Maya!

tasmād – therefore

 

Sri Krishna says that death of Bhishma, Drona and everyone is inevitable. There is

nothing to grieve about it. It is the nature of the universe which may not always be as one may wish. So, one has no choice but to accept it gracefully without complaining.

 

In situations with choice ACT, in choiceless situations ACCEPT.

Sloka 28

अ य  ादीिन भूतािन य  म यािन भारत।

अ य  िनधना येव त  का प रदेवना।।2.28।।

bhārata- Bharata

bhūtāni – body-mind complex made of five elements

avyakta – unmanifest

ādīni – at the beginning

vyakta madhyāni – manifests in the middle

avyakta – unmanifest

nidhanānyēva – after death

tatra kā paridēvanā – why lament about it

All bodies are in unmanifest state before coming to their form and after they lose their form. No one owns their body- mind complex.

 

Why lament over what is invisible but comes to form in the middle and deludes! Why be in state of denial of the nature of this universe!

One should accept the pair of opposites in this world.

 

It is useful to read this sloka with the following slokas:

avyaktādvyaktaya ḥ s arvā ḥ prabhavantyaharāgamē.

r ā t r y ā g a m ē    p r a l ī y a n t ē

tatraivāvyaktasaṅjñakē৷৷8.18৷৷

 

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa ēvāyaṅ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyatē.

rātryāgamē.vaśa

prabhavatyaharāgamē৷৷8.19৷৷

With the coming of Brahmadeva’s day this entire Universe manifests from the unmanifest and when Brahmadeva’s night comes they resolve and become unmanifest.

 

Sristi with all beings goes to dormant form with punya and paapa during maha pralayam / Brahmadeva’s night and appears again in the same condition during Brahmadeva’s day. T his appearance and disappearance keep repeating. This is similar to one’s sleep and waking.

 

In the individual and total level, this cycle occurs in nature. Thus, Sri Krishna logically explains that it is foolishness to grieve even if one construes anatma as atma.