2.26 atha chainam nithyajAtham

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 2

<< Chapter 2 verse 25

SlOkam – Original

atha chainam nithyajAtham nithyam vA manyasE mrutham |
thathApi thvam mahAbhAhO nainam Sochithum arhasi ||

word-by-word meaning

mahAbhAhO – Oh mighty armed!
atha: – unlike previously explained
Enam – this AthmA
nithyajAtham – taking birth repeatedly
nithyam mrutham vA cha – the body which is dying repeatedly
manyasE (chEth) – if you consider
thathA api – even in that case
thvam – you
Evam – in this manner
SOchitham – to grieve
na arhasi – have no reason

Simple Translation

Oh mighty armed! Unlike previously explained, if you consider this AthmA to be taking births and dying repeatedly, even in that case, you have no reason to grieve in this manner.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘If you would think this (ātmā) as repeatedly taking births and repeatedly dying, even then have you, O mighty-armed! no reason to grieve.’

If you would still consider this ātmā to be the body itself subject to constant births and deaths, in other words that it is not a distinct principle -according to the given definition- from body, even then it cannot form a ground for your grief, for then you must know that for bodies undergoing constant changes, ‘births and deaths’ is a law of nature which cannot be averted.

>> Chapter 2 verse 27

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