Unseen before, unseen after

Where we are

In the previous reading Krishna compared death to changing worn-out clothes and said nothing can cut, burn, soak or dry the self. Now he draws the conclusion: grief is misplaced. Then he adds a second argument for a listener who is not convinced, one that works even if the self is born and dies with the body.

The verses

1. 2.25

   The self is said to be invisible to the senses, beyond the reach of thought, and not subject to change. Once you understand it this way, you have no reason to grieve.

   अShow the SanskritHide the Sanskrit for verse 2.25

   अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते ।
   तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २५ ॥

   Hear it

   avyakto 'yam acintyo 'yam avikāryo 'yam ucyate
   tasmād evaṃ viditvainaṃ nānuśocitum arhasi

   Say it

   uv-yuk-to 'yum uh-chin-tyo 'yum uh-vi-kaar-yo 'yum uch-yuh-tay
   tus-maa-day-vum vi-di-tvai-num naa-noo-sho-chi-toom ur-huh-si

   Word by word

   avyaktaḥ ayam

   this (self) is unmanifest, not visible to the senses

   acintyaḥ ayam

   this is beyond thought

   avikāryaḥ ayam

   this does not change

   ucyate

   it is said

   tasmāt

   therefore

   evam viditvā enam

   knowing it to be so

   na anuśocitum arhasi

   you should not grieve

2. 2.26

   And even if you take the other view, that the self is born again and again and dies again and again along with the body, mighty-armed Arjuna, you still should not grieve like this.

   अShow the SanskritHide the Sanskrit for verse 2.26

   अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् ।
   तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २६ ॥

   Hear it

   atha cainaṃ nityajātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam
   tathāpi tvaṃ mahābāho naivaṃ śocitum arhasi

   Say it

   uh-thuh chai-num ni-tyuh-jaa-tum ni-tyum vaa mun-yuh-say mri-tum
   tuh-thaa-pi tvum muh-haa-baa-ho nai-vum sho-chi-toom ur-huh-si

   Word by word

   atha ca

   and suppose instead

   enam

   this (self)

   nityajātam

   constantly being born

   nityam vā manyase mṛtam

   or you think it constantly dies

   tathā api

   even so

   tvam mahābāho

   you, mighty-armed one

   na evam śocitum arhasi

   should not grieve like this

3. 2.27

   Whatever is born is sure to die, and whatever dies is sure to be born again. So you should not grieve over something that no one can avoid.

   अShow the SanskritHide the Sanskrit for verse 2.27

   जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।
   तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ २७ ॥

   Hear it

   jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca
   tasmād aparihārye 'rthe na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi

   Say it

   jaa-tuss-yuh hi dhroo-vo mri-tyoor dhroo-vum jun-muh mri-tuss-yuh chuh
   tus-maa-duh-puh-ri-haar-yay 'rthay nuh tvum sho-chi-toom ur-huh-si

   Word by word

   jātasya hi

   for whatever is born

   dhruvaḥ mṛtyuḥ

   death is certain

   dhruvam janma mṛtasya ca

   and birth is certain for what has died

   tasmāt

   therefore

   aparihārye arthe

   over something that cannot be avoided

   na tvam śocitum arhasi

   you should not grieve

4. 2.28

   Beings are unseen before they begin, seen for a while in the middle, and unseen again when they end, Arjuna. Why mourn over a pattern like that?

   अShow the SanskritHide the Sanskrit for verse 2.28

   अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत ।
   अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ॥ २८ ॥

   Hear it

   avyaktādīni bhūtāni vyaktamadhyāni bhārata
   avyaktanidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā

   Say it

   uv-yuk-taa-dee-ni bhoo-taa-ni vyuk-tuh-mudh-yaa-ni bhaa-ruh-tuh
   uv-yuk-tuh-ni-dhuh-naan-yay-vuh tuh-truh kaa puh-ri-day-vuh-naa

   Word by word

   avyakta-ādīni

   unmanifest at the beginning

   bhūtāni

   beings, living creatures

   vyakta-madhyāni

   manifest in the middle

   bhārata

   descendant of Bharata (Arjuna)

   avyakta-nidhanāni eva

   unmanifest again at the end

   tatra kā paridevanā

   so why lament over that?

Context and commentary

Two arguments sit side by side. Verse 2.25 closes the first: the self is avyakta (unmanifest), acintya (beyond thought) and avikārya (unchanging), so grief misses its target. Verse 2.26 opens an "even if" argument, granting for discussion that the self is born and dies with the body. Interpretation: Śaṅkara treats this as a concession to meet Arjuna where he stands, not Krishna's own view; Rāmānuja reads 2.27 as showing that sorrow over the certain is pointless on either view. Avyakta returns in Chapters 8 and 12 as the unseen ground of all beings.