ॐ

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्। तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि।।2.26।।

atha chainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛitam tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho naivaṁ śhochitum arhasi

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 2, Verse 26
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
But even if thou thinkest of It as constantly being born and constantly dying, even then, O mighty-armed one, thou shouldst not grieve.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: Krishna offers a second argument in case the first didn't land, even granting repeated birth and death, grief is still the wrong response since it's simply what happens to everything born.

In life: sometimes one explanation won't convince someone, and you need a different angle on the same truth.

Teaching: when consoling yourself or someone else, have more than one way of seeing the situation ready. Not every mind opens to the same door.

athaif, however
chaand
enamthis soul
nitya-jātamtaking constant birth
nityamalways
vāor
manyaseyou think
mṛitamdead
tathā apieven then
tvamyou
mahā-bāhomighty-armed one, Arjun
nanot
evamlike this
śhochitumgrieve
arhasibefitting

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
2.26 अथ now? च and? एनम् this (Self)? नित्यजातम् constantly born? नित्यम् constantly? वा or? मन्यसे thinkest? मृतम् dead? तथापि even then? त्वम् thou? महाबाहो mightyarmed? न not? एवम् thus? शोचितुम् to grieve? अर्हसि (thou) oughtest.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.