FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.27

జాతస్య హి ధ్రువో మృత్యుర్ధ్రువం జన్మ మృతస్య చ । తస్మాదపరిహార్యేఽర్థే న త్వం శోచితుమర్హసి ॥ ౨౭ ॥
jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
[jaatasya hi dhruvo mrityur]
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
[dhruvam janma mritasya cha]
tasmād aparihārye ’rthe
[tasmaad aparihaarye ’rthe]
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
[na tvam shochitum arhasi]
Word-for-word
jātasya — of one who has taken his birth hi — certainly dhruvaḥ — a fact mṛtyuḥ — death dhruvam — it is also a fact janma — birth mṛtasya — of the dead ca — also tasmāt — therefore aparihārye — of that which is unavoidable arthe — in the matter na — do not tvam — you śocitum — to lament arhasi — deserve .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
jātasya
of one who has taken his birth
hi
certainly
dhruvaḥ
a fact
mṛtyuḥ
death
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
dhruvam
it is also a fact
janma
birth
mṛtasya
of the dead
ca
also
tasmād aparihārye ’rthe
tasmāt
therefore
aparihārye
of that which is unavoidable
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
arthe
in the matter
na
do not
tvam
you
śocitum
to lament
arhasi
deserve .
Important Words
  • jātasya — of the born
    Genitive of jāta — born. The verse opens with the universal premise: *for the born*. No exception is allowed.
  • dhruvaḥ — certain
    From √dhṛ — fixed, sure. Dhruva is the pole-star and the boy whose name means 'certainty'. Death is dhruva — as sure as the pole. The certainty itself is what disarms the lament.
  • mṛtyuḥ — death
    Personified in the Upaniṣads; here, the bare fact. Kṛṣṇa names death without euphemism, because the cure requires the diagnosis spoken plainly.
  • aparihārye — unavoidable
    A + parihārya — not to be removed. From pari-√hṛ — to ward off. The locative locates the duty *in the unavoidable*. Grief over the inevitable is a category error.
  • arthe — in the matter
    Locative — *in this matter*. Artha here means the *thing at hand*, the subject under discussion. The whole conduct of war is being placed in the file marked 'aparihārya'.
One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.
Purport

One has to take birth according to one’s activities of life. And after finishing one term of activities, one has to die to take birth for the next. In this way one is going through one cycle of birth and death after another without liberation. This cycle of birth and death does not, however, support unnecessary murder, slaughter and war. But at the same time, violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order. The Battle of Kurukṣetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a kṣatriya. Why should he be afraid of or aggrieved at the death of his relatives since he was discharging his proper duty? He did not deserve to break the law, thereby becoming subjected to the reactions of sinful acts, of which he was so afraid. By avoiding the discharge of his proper duty, he would not be able to stop the death of his relatives, and he would be degraded due to his selection of the wrong path of action.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
27. For what is born, death is certain. For what is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, since both are unavoidable, you should not lament.
Commentary

Since (hi) death is certain (dhruvaḥ) with the depletion of karmas meant for this life, and birth is also certain because of the karma accrued by that body which just died— since both death and birth are unavoidable (aparihārye arthe)—do not lament.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
27. For what is born, death is certain. For what is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, since both are unavoidable, you should not lament.
Commentary

The body is redundant and the ātmā is eternal. Birth is combination of ātmā with previously non-existing senses and body. Death is the separation of the ātmā from that body with its senses. Because birth and death both arise from performance of dharma and adharma, birth and death primarily belong to a substrata or shelter of dharma and adharma which must be eternal. Birth and death belong secondarily to the body. If the soul were not eternal (lasting only one lifetime), it could not be accepted as the substrate of dharma and adharma, because then it could have no acquisition of results to actions previously performed and simultaneously it would acquire effects not caused by actions previously performed. This is the view of the logicians (follows of Gautama’s Nyāya philosophy). Even in their view, one should give up lamenting for the ātmā. Hi in this verse indicates cause. For the eternal element, the ātmā, which attains birth (jātasya) by accepting a body under the laws of karma, death is certain with the destruction of those karmas. After death, birth is certain, caused by the karmas of the previous body. This is impossible to avoid (aparihārye). For this reason (arthe), because ātmā has the very nature of birth and death, you, being learned, should not lament. Even if you decline to fight, these people will die with the exhaustion of their present karmas. But you will have deviated from your duty of fighting.

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

Karma-vada – One has to take birth according to his activities in his past lives and die after finishing

his term of reactions

Thus death generates no loss in this natural cause of events
Thus this verse helps to dispel the lamentation based on the illusory bodily concept of life
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.27 This being so, 'death of anyone born', etc. Hi, for; mrtyuh, death; jatasya, of anyone born; dhruvah, is certain; is without exception; ca, and mrtasya, of the dead; janmah, (re-) birth; is dhruvam, a certainly. Tasmat, therefore, this fact, viz birth and death, is inevitable. With regard to that (fact), apariharye, over an enevitable; arthe, fact; tvam, you; na arhasi, ought not; socitum, to grieve.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.27 For what has originated, destruction is certain - it is seen to be inevitable. Similarly what has perished will inevitably originate. How should this be understood - that there is origination for that (entity)which has perished? It is seen that an existing entity only can originate and not a non-existent one. Origination, annihilation etc., are merely particular states of an existent entity. Now thread etc., do really exist. When arranged in a particular way, they are called clothes etc. It is seen that even those who uphold the doctrine that the effect is a new entity (Asatkarya-vadins) will admit this much that no new entity over and above the particular arrangement of threads is seen. It is not tenable to hold that this is the coming into being of a new entity, since, by the process of manufacture there is only attainment of a new name and special functions. No new entity emerges. Origination, annihilation etc., are thus particular stages of an existent entity. With regard to an entity which has entered into a stage known as origination, its entry into the opposite condition is called annihilation. Of an evolving entity, a seqence of evolutionary stages is inevitable. For instance, clay becomes a lump, jug, a potsherd, and (finally) powder. Here, what is called annihilation is the attainment of a succeeding stage by an entity which existed previously in a preceding stage. And this annihilation itself is called birth in that stage. Thus, the seence called birth and annihilation being inevitable for an evolving entity, it is not worthy of you to grieve. Now Sri Krsna says that not even the slightest grief arising from seeing an entity passing from a previous existing stage to an opposite stage, is justifiable in regard to human beings etc.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.27 Jatasya etc. Destruction comes after birth, and after the destruction comes birth. Thus, this series of birth-and-death is like a circle. Hence to what extent is this to be lamented for ? Furthermore-
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.27 For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead; therefore, over the inevitable thou shouldst not grieve.
Commentary

2.27 जातस्य of the born? हि for? ध्रुवः certain? मृत्युः death? ध्रुवम् certain? जन्म birth? मृतस्य of the dead? च and? तस्मात् therefore? अपरिहार्ये inevritable? अर्थे in matter? न not? त्वम् thou? शोचितुम् to grieve? अर्हसि (thou) oughtest.Commentary Birth is sure to happen to that which is dead death is sure to happen to what which is born. Birth and death are certainly unavoidable. Therefore? you should not grieve over an inevitable matter.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.27 For death of anyone born is certain, and of the dead (re-) birth is a certainly. Therefore you ought not to grieve over an inevitable fact.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.27 For death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.26 BG 16.11 BG 8.16 SB 1.13.44 SB 10.1.39 SB 11.10.20 CC Ādi 9.41 CC Madhya 22.107 CC Antya 3.252 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.1.20BRS 1.2.292
Concepts
Dharma
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
For one who is born, death is certain; for one who has died, birth is certain — therefore do not lament the inevitable.
Practical Applications
  • Make peace with mortality long before it visits your closest circle.
  • Notice how much of your daily anxiety is about delaying the inevitable.
  • Let inevitability free you from over-investing in outcomes you cannot control.
Reflection Questions
  • What inevitability am I exhausting myself trying to deny?
  • How would I live differently if I really accepted the certainty of death and rebirth?
Analogy

A river born in the high snows is sure to reach the sea; the sea is sure to send up clouds; the clouds will fall again as snow. To stand on the bank weeping at the inevitable arrival of the sea is to misunderstand the nature of rivers. Birth and death are this current.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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