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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 2.30
देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत ।
तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ ३० ॥
dehī nityam avadhyo ’yaṁ
dehe sarvasya bhārata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
The soul within the body can never be killed, so there is no need to grieve for any living being.
Kṛṣṇa teaches that the soul is different from the temporary body. Arjuna should not abandon his duty out of fear that his elders will die.
The soul’s immortality does not encourage violence. War must be truly needed and sanctioned by the Lord, not based on personal whim.
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
Purport to this verse summarizes all the verses in the ‘Jnana’ section (2.11 – 2.30) in four points:
Identity of living entity – Living entity is an immutable spirit soul
Soul vs Body – Soul is immortal and body is temporary
Immortality does not encourage whimsical violence
Justified violence – Violence must be justified in terms of sanction of the Lord and not capriciously
Practical application for Arjuna
As a ksatriya he should not abandon his prescribed duties out of fear that his grandfather and teacher will die in the battle
There is no death for the soul. The body can never be saved
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: ātmā, jñāna.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 2.30 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to soul & knowledge?
Spend five minutes reflecting on what in you does not change.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.