2.30 dhEhI nithyam avadhyO ’yam

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

Chapter 2

<< Chapter 2 verse 29

SlOkam – Original

dhEhI nithyam avadhyO ’yam dhEhE sarvasya bhAratha |
thasmAth sarvANi bhUthAni na thvam SOchithum arhasi ||

word-by-word meaning

sarvasya – in all forms such as dhEva (celestial), manushya (human) etc
dhEhE – bodies
(vadhyamAnE sathyapi – even when killed)
ayam dhEhI – this AthmA who is dwelling in the body
nithya – always
avadhya: – cannot be killed
bhAratha – oh descendant of bharatha clan!
thasmAth – for the aforementioned reasons
sarvANi bhUthAni (prathi) – for all entities
thvam – you
SOchithum – to grieve
na arhasi – have no reason

Simple Translation

Oh descendant of bharatha clan! Even when the bodies in all forms such as dhEva (celestial), manushya (human) etc are killed, this AthmA who is dwelling in the body can never be killed. For the aforementioned reasons, you have no reason to grieve for any entity.

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

‘The embodied ātmā, Bhārata! – in whichever body dwelling – is invulnerable. Therefore you have no cause to grieve for any creature.

The embodied (or the dweller in the body – ātmā) – whichever be the bodies tenanted, those of devās (gods) or others – remains eternal and invulnerable even though the bodies be slaughtered. Hence whatever diversity may be presented in the forms of bodies assumed by devās and down to the immovable (minerals etc.) creation, equality prevails as regards the essential ātmā-nature abiding therein, and such ātmās are all eternal, whereas the bodily variety is transient.[1. ‘Man’s nature – by which is meant the soul – is thus divine, not corrupt, according to the Christian conception’ (Annie Besant’s Theosophy and Christianity).] While you have thus no ground to be regretful as regards devās and all beings, that it is so as regards Bhīshma etc., goes without saying.

>> Chapter 2 verse 31

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