FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.30

देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत । तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ ३० ॥
dehī nityam avadhyo ’yaṁ
[dehee nityam avadhyo ’yam]
dehe sarvasya bhārata
[dehe sarvasya bhaarata]
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni
[tasmaat sarvaani bhootaani]
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
[na tvam shochitum arhasi]
Word-for-word
dehī — the owner of the material body nityam — eternally avadhyaḥ — cannot be killed ayam — this soul dehe — in the body sarvasya — of everyone bhārata — O descendant of Bharata tasmāt — therefore sarvāṇi — all bhūtāni — living entities (that are born) na — never tvam — you śocitum — to lament arhasi — deserve .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dehī nityam avadhyo ’yaṁ
dehī
the owner of the material body
nityam
eternally
avadhyaḥ
cannot be killed
ayam
this soul
dehe sarvasya bhārata
dehe
in the body
sarvasya
of everyone
bhārata
O descendant of Bharata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni
tasmāt
therefore
sarvāṇi
all
bhūtāni
living entities (that are born)
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
na
never
tvam
you
śocitum
to lament
arhasi
deserve .
Important Words
  • dehī — the dweller in the body
    Nominative of dehin. Repeated emphatically — the soul *as inhabitant*. The body is a dwelling; the inhabitant is the subject of every sentence about life.
  • nityam — eternally
    Adverbial — *always*. Not 'sometimes indestructible' or 'usually indestructible'. The indestructibility is uninterrupted.
  • avadhyaḥ — unkillable
    A + vadhya — not to be killed. The legal-moral term: *not to be put to death*. The soul has, as it were, permanent immunity from execution.
  • sarvasya — of everyone
    Genitive — *of every body*. The teaching is now universalized. Not Bhīṣma alone, not the named kings alone, but the dweller in every body whatsoever.
  • bhūtāni — beings
    Plural of bhūta — that which has come to be. With sarvāṇi (all), the verse universalizes: *all beings whatsoever*. The metaphysical foundation laid in verses 11-30 ends with this single comprehensive injunction — no being is an exception.
O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa closes the metaphysical section: the same indestructible soul dwells in every body. Since none can be slain, none warrants lamentation — not even those Arjuna is about to fight.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
This verse concludes the Sāṅkhya-style argument that began at 2.11. Sarvasya ('of all') universalizes the conclusion: not only Bhīṣma and Droṇa, but every being is ultimately beyond Arjuna's power to truly harm. From 2.31 Kṛṣṇa shifts to a different argumentative ground: even on dharma's own terms, the warrior must fight.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे भारत! अयम् देही सर्वस्य देहे नित्यम् अवध्यः । तस्मात् त्वम् सर्वाणि भूतानि शोचितुम् न अर्हसि ।
he bhārata! ayam dehī sarvasya dehe nityam avadhyaḥ | tasmāt tvam sarvāṇi bhūtāni śocitum na arhasi |
O Bhārata, this embodied (soul) in the body of every (being) is ever unslayable. Therefore you ought not to grieve for any creature.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
देही नित्यम् अवध्यः अयम् देहे सर्वस्य भारत । तस्मात् सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वम् शोचितुम् अर्हसि ॥
dehī nityam avadhyaḥ ayam dehe sarvasya bhārata | tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni na tvam śocitum arhasi ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
देही dehī देहिन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the embodied (soul)
नित्यम् nityam ind. (indeclinable), adv., 'always' always
अवध्यः avadhyaḥ अ + वध्य (gerundive of √वध्/√हन्) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., 'unslayable' unslayable
अयम् ayam इदम् (dem. (demonstrative)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. this
देहे dehe देह (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the body
सर्वस्य sarvasya सर्व (pron. (pronoun)/adj.) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m. of everyone
भारत bhārata भारत (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Bhārata
तस्मात् tasmāt तद् (pron. (pronoun)) abl.sg. (ablative singular) therefore
सर्वाणि sarvāṇi सर्व (pron. (pronoun)/adj.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)n. all
भूतानि bhūtāni भूत (n.) acc.pl. (accusative plural), 'beings' beings
न त्वम् अर्हसि na tvam arhasi √अर्ह् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice), with न you ought not
शोचितुम् śocitum √शुच् inf. (infinitive) to grieve
Purport

The Lord now concludes the chapter of instruction on the immutable spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in various ways, Lord Kṛṣṇa establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is temporary. Therefore Arjuna as a kṣatriya should not abandon his duty out of fear that his grandfather and teacher – Bhīṣma and Droṇa – will die in the battle. On the authority of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one has to believe that there is a soul different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord, and not capriciously.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
30. O Bhārata, the soul in the body of all entities can never be killed. Therefore you should not lament for any being.
Commentary

“Therefore speak clearly. What should I do and not do?” “Do not lament, but rather fight.” In two verses, Kṛṣṇa explains this.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
30. O Bhārata, the soul in the body of all entities can never be killed. Therefore you should not lament for any being.
Commentary

Having succinctly taught the nature of the ātmā which is difficult to understand, the Lord concludes the topic by saying that Arjuna should not grieve for the ātmā. Since this jīva (dehī) situated in the destructible bodies of all living entities (dehe) is eternal and cannot be killed at any time, you should not lament for all living entities that have attained bodies including Bhīsma (sarva bhūtāni). You should not lament for the ātmās because they are eternal, and you should not lament for the bodies because they will inevitably be destroyed by their very nature.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This verse is the summary of all the Section B about Jnana or knowledge of the difference between the soul and the body. Jnana is used to dispel the illusion that Arjuna had had that he is the body, he will be the killer...

[ C. KARMA‑KANDA / SAKAMA‑KARMA FIGHT! FOR GAINS COME FROM DUTIFULLY FIGHTING AND LOSSES COME FROM NOT FIGHTING (2.31‑38) If Arjuna dies in the battle he will be promoted to heaven, and if he wins the battle, he will rule the earth. Dishonor will overtake him if he leaves the battlefield. ] (There is a subtle difference between Karma‑kanda and Sakama‑ karma. Karma‑kanda is basically used in the Vedas and vedic literature for sense gratification. Sakama karma‑yoga wherein one is attached to sense enjoyment, but he is using the vedic system and he assignes the goal that he wants to make spiritual advancement. Karma‑kanda is not yoga, it is just materially going up and then after one's karma runs out one comes down and he takes on a human body , up and down ) In Text 30 Krsna summarized His Jnana Section by saying: "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being."

Now in text 31 Krsna is going to explain how to enjoy and why Arjuna should do his duties but for the purpose of enjoying:

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Conclusion of Jnana section (2.11 – 2.30) – Factually soul is the indestructible living entity within the

body, therefore there is no need of lamentation

Focus of Learning

(a) Different types of people who misunderstand the soul and find it amazing

Those who find this fact too amazing that the same soul in magnitude and quality is the cause of varieties of species (Biggest to the smallest)
Those who are too engrossed in gross material conception and sense gratification
Subject of soul is too subtle to be understood by men with a poor fund of knowledge and who are not austere
Some who accept the soul but
Misguided as acceptance of the Supersoul and atomic soul to be equal in magnitude

(b) Easiest Process of Understanding the Soul

Accept Bhagavad-gita as given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
It requires great penance and sacrifice to accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Only possible way is – by the causeless mercy of a devotee

(a) Srila Prabhupada establishes that the loss of body is never a cause of lamentation

Whether you accept the existence of the soul or not

(b) If you do not accept soul

Then the body changes from unmanifest to manifest to unmanifest
Conservation of energy and matter is maintained – thus there is no reason to lament
Analogy: Skyscraper – (study purport – skyscraper manifests from earth and goes back into the earth)

(c) If you accept soul

Analogy: Then the body is like a dress
Or like a dream (e.g. flying in the sky or sitting on the chariot as a king)
Nobody laments for the change of dress or situations of a dream

(d) Vedic wisdom – encourages self-realization on the basis of non-existence of the material body

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.30 Because of being partless and eternal, ayam, this dehi, embodied Self; nityam avadhyah, can never be killed, under any condition. That being so, although existing sarvasya dehe, in all bodies, in trees etc., this One cannot be killed on account of Its being allpervasive. Since the indewelling One cannot be killed although the body of everyone of the living beings be killed, tasmat, therefore; tvam, you; na arhasi, ought not; socitum, to grieve; for sarvani bhutani, all (these) beings, for Bhisma and others. Here [i.e. in the earlier verse.] it has been said that, from the standpoint of the supreme Reality, there is no occasion for sorrow or delusion. (This is so) not merely from the standpoint of the supreme Reality, but
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.30 The self within the body of everyone such as gods etc., must be considered to be eternally imperishable, though the body can be killed. Therefore, all beings from gods to immovable beings, even though they possess different forms, are all uniform and eternal in their nature as described above. The ineality and the perishableness pertain only to the bodies. Therefore, it is not fit for you to feel grief for any of the beings beginning from gods etc., and not merely for Bhisma and such others.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.30 Dehi etc. On these grounds, the permanent destruction-lessness of the Self [is established].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.30 This, the Indweller in the body of everyone, is ever indestructible, O Arjuna; therefore, thou shouldst not grieve for any creature.
Commentary

2.30 देही indweller? नित्यम् always? अवध्यः indestructible? अयम् this? देहे in the body? सर्वस्य of all? भारत O Bharata? तस्मात् therefore? सर्वाणि (for) all? भूतानि creatures? न not? त्वम् thou? शोचितुम् to grieve? अर्हसि (thou) shouldst.Commentary The body of any creature may be destroyed but the Self cannot be killed. Therefore you should not grieve regarding any creature whatever? Bhishma or anybody else.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.30 O descendant of Bharata, this embodied Self existing in everyone's body can never be killed. Therefore you ought not to grieve for all (these) beings.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.30 Be not anxious about these armies. The Spirit in man is imperishable.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 2.18 BG 2.21 BG 13.32 SB 1.7.41 SB 3.7.20 SB 10.4.20 CC Madhya 20.108 CC Madhya 22.30 CC Antya 5.135 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.18Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.6
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The dweller in every body is eternal and indestructible — therefore, in any specific situation, do not grieve for any creature.
Practical Applications
  • When you encounter suffering, tend to the body and console the mind, but never mourn the soul as if it were destroyed.
  • Speak about beings — including animals — as eternal dwellers in temporary bodies.
  • Do not let philosophical certainty become an excuse for emotional coldness; act with compassion while knowing the truth.
Reflection Questions
  • How can I hold both the truth of eternity and the duty of compassion at once?
  • Whom have I withdrawn from emotionally in the name of detachment?
Analogy

Strike a flint and see the sparks fly — each one distinct, each one fire, none of them the flint itself, and not one of them extinguished by the wind. The jīvas are like that: plural, individually real, each eternal, all of the same spiritual nature, atomic sparks of Kṛṣṇa's taṭasthā-śakti (cf. BG 15.7). To lament for any creature is to forget that no such spark ever truly dies.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 2