Sri Bhagwat Gita: Chapter 2, Verses 12-15

Sri Bhagwat Gita: Chapter 2, Verses 12-15

न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः । न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम्‌ ॥

देहिनोऽस्मिन्‌ यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा । तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिः धीरः तत्र न मुह्यति ॥

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्ण सुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनः अनित्याः तान्‌ तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥

यम्‌ हि न व्यथयन्ति एते पुरुषं पुरुषर्भ । समदुःखसुखम्‌ धीरम्‌ सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥

BIG IDEA

To further console distressed and demoralized Arjun, Lord Krishna continues the following words:

At no point in time did I, You or the warriors and kings standing in front of you ceased to exist. They were here several thousand years ago and will continue to exist several years from now.  Meaning the very composition, the very elements of a ‘soul’ are un-destructive and un-destroyable. The soul is immortal and remains in this world forever.

All beings enter a constant state of change when they take abode in this human body. They switch various forms and appearances right from being a baby to an adolescent, to youth and eventually attain old age; hence there is nothing in this world which is constant or unchanging. We are all in the continuous state of entropy every second progressing forward from order to disorder. The Soul keeps changing bodies just like body changes clothes. Learned and patient people understand this process of constant change and do not lament over mere loss of body.

Anything which is produced from the combination of sensuousness and material presence is only short lived and transitory. Just like various seasons come and go, happiness and sorrows are continuously changing hands with each other. In such a world where nothing is constant, one should understand the very transient nature of this world and witness various phases, ups and downs of life with great patience and tenacity without getting too absorbed in it.

Those who are able to perceive and sustain the state of happiness and sorrow with the same detached outlook, without getting too attached to the finer details or too affected by the final outcome, truly deserve and achieve salvation in this life!

THE TAKEAWAYS

Our over indulgence into worldly things, materialism, lust, wants, and affection only gives birth to worries, fear and lamentation. We are lost in a constant chase of desires and those in turn give us back more frustration and emptiness. It’s a continuous cycle that never ends and we keep running in circles trying to find the end.

As humans we need to be more analytical, patient and detached towards the worldly attractions and temptations. We need to work hard to acquire pragmatism and knowledge to be able to treat every situation in life with an unwavering and neutral mind.

When we will attain the level-headedness where the probabilities of good and bad, suitable and unsuitable, favorable and unfavorable will not have a positive or negative impact on us, we will reach the state of salvation!


Om Shri Gurave Namahe!

Gunjan Sharma