अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्। तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि॥
atha cainaṃ nitya-jātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam / tathāpi tvaṃ mahā-bāho naivaṃ śocitum arhasi
Even if the soul were not eternal — even then, grief is not the answer.
Word by word (4)
- atha cet tvam imaṃ dharmyam
- — but if you think this righteous
- nityajātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam
- — is constantly being born or constantly dying · The 'even if' argument: even granting the materialist position that the soul is born and dies repeatedly, the conclusion still holds — grief is not warranted.
- tathāpi tvaṃ mahā-bāho
- — even so, O mighty-armed
- naivaṃ śocitum arhasi
- — you should not grieve like this
'But even if you think of the self as being constantly born and constantly dying — even then, O mighty-armed, you should not grieve like this.'
A modern analogy
A teacher who has made the philosophical case and then says: 'But even if I'm wrong about all of that — even if there is no eternal soul — the grief still doesn't serve you.' Krishna offers a fallback argument: independent of the metaphysical question, grief is still unproductive here. The teaching works at two levels: if you accept the metaphysics, great; if you don't, the conclusion still holds.
Take with you
- Krishna acknowledges the possibility that Arjuna doesn't accept the soul's immortality teaching — and offers an alternative argument.
- The phrase 'naivaṃ śocitum arhasi' echoes V25 — the conclusion is the same regardless of metaphysical position.
- This shows the Gita's pedagogical sophistication: it doesn't demand metaphysical agreement before the practical teaching applies.
Verse 26 introduces what commentators call the 'even if' argument. Having made the case for the Atman's immortality (V12-25), Krishna now concedes the materialist position — even if the soul were subject to birth and death — and shows that the conclusion (grief is inappropriate) still holds. This is pedagogically sophisticated: Krishna does not insist on the metaphysical agreement before applying the practical teaching. Even a materialist can see that grief in crisis is counterproductive.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
But even if you think of it as being constantly born and constantly dying, even then, O mighty-armed, you should not grieve. [4]
Nay! but as when one layeth his worn-out robes away... Even if it were not so — if thou shouldst think This as one ever dying, ever new — Even then, thou warrior! ill it fits thee thus To mourn thy dead. [7]
But if you think that this is constantly being born, and constantly dying, even then, O you of mighty arms, you should not thus grieve. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Birth means death is certain. Death means birth is certain. Grief over the unavoidable serves no one.
Once that joy is found, no other gain seems greater — established in it, even the heaviest sorrow cannot shake you.
Arjuna asks: what does the truly wise person look like? How do they speak, sit, and move?
No embodied being can abandon ALL action; the true tyāgī is the karma-phala-tyāgī — the fruit-abandoner.
Arjuna sees his own people ready to die — and his body breaks before his mind can argue.
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for — and call it wisdom.