· You are grieving over those which are not worthy of lamentation and speaking the language of a Prajñā. The Panditah never laments over life which has passed or life which has not-passed.
· But certainly (it is) not (a fact) that I did not exist at any time; nor you, nor these rulers of men. And surely it is not that we all shall cease to exist after this.
· As the dehinah (embodied or ātmā) acquires
· kaumāram (teenage),
· yauvanam (youth) and
· jarā (old age) in this body,
· Similarly, (it) achieves the change of the body (to a new one).
· A dhirah (sober person) is not bewildered (by such a change).
· Sense Perceptions like heat, cold, happiness and sorrow appear and disappear. They are non-permanent. Bear them.
· The Puruṣaḥ to whom all these (sense perceptions) do not torment. One who is patient and is unaltered in happiness or sorrow is certainly eligible for amŗtatvāya (liberation).
· There exists no bhāvah (nature of being) of the asatah (unreal). There exists no abhāvah (without nature) of the satah (real). Certainly both the observation and conclusion of them are done by the Tattva-darśi (Seers of the Truth).
· That which pervades the entire body, know it to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable (ātmā).
· All these material bodies are perishable. Śarīriņah (ātmā) is said to be nityasya (eternal in existence), indestructible and immeasurable.
· One who considers this (ātmā) as the killer, and also, one who believes this (ātmā) is killed. They both do not possess knowledge. This (ātmā) neither kills nor is killed.
· This (ātmā) neither takes birth nor dies at any time. Neither this (ātmā) has taken birth nor will it born again.
· It is unborn, eternal, ever-lasting and primeval.
· The ātmā is not killed when the body is killed.
· One who knows this (ātmā) to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and imperishable, how can that Puruṣaḥ hurt anyone or kill anyone?
· As a naraḥ (Man) giving up old garments, accepts other new ones. Similarly giving up the old bodies, the dehī (ātmā) accepts different new bodies.
· This (ātmā) can
· not be cut to pieces by weapons,
· not be burnt by fire,
· not be wet by water,
· not be dried by the wind.
· This (ātmā) is
· unbreakable,
· unable to be burned,
· unable to be wetted,
· unable to be dried.
· nityaḥ (everlasting),
· sarva-gatah (all-pervading),
· sthāņuḥ (unchangeable),
· acalaḥ (immovable),
· sanātanaḥ (eternal),
· avyaktaḥ (unmanifest),
· acintyaḥ (inconceivable),
· avikāryaḥ (unchangeable)
· Therefore, thus knowing this (ātmā), you should not grieve.
· If however, you believe that this (ātmā) is perpetually, always takes birth or dies. Still then you should not grieve like this.
· Certainly death is a fact of the birth; (similarly re-)birth is also a fact of the death. Therefore you should not lament on the matter which is unavoidable.
· All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, become manifested in middle and certainly become unmanifest again when they die. Therefore what is there to lament?
· Some
· see this (ātmā) as an amazing thing,
· some describe it as amazing,
· some hear of the ātmā as amazing.
· even having heard this, some never know for sure.
· That which eternally dwells in the body (dehī or ātmā) can never be killed. This (ātmā) is in the body of everyone. Therefore you should not grieve.
· Even considering your own dharma as well, you should not hesitate, as nothing better than fighting for dharma exists for a kșatriya.
· Happy are the kșatriyas, when they get to be in a war like this, which approaches on its own, along with the open door of svarga.
· Therefore if you do not act in this dharmyam-sangrāmam, then losing your own dharma and kirti, you will incur sin.
· Also bhutāni (living beings) will speak of your akīrti forever. For a respectable man, akīrti is worse than death.
· The Mahā-rathāḥ will consider that you have fled from battlefield out of fear. Also among whom you have been popular (highly estimated), your popularity will decrease.
· Your enemies will say many hurting words (to you) while denigrating your ability. What could be more sorrowful than that?
· Either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain svarga, or you will win and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight.
· Remaining equipoise towards
· happiness and sorrow,
· gain or loss,
· victory or defeat.
· thereafter, engage in fighting for the sake of war (yuddha).
· In this way you will never incur sin.
