CHAPTER - 2, SANKHYA YOGA, VERSE : 2.9 - 2.20 ??

Verse 2.9 - 2.10

sa?jaya uvācha

evam uktvā h?i?hīke?ha? gu?āke?ha? parantapa

na yotsya iti govindam uktvā tū?h?ī? babhūva ha

tam-uvācha h?i?hīke?ha? prahasanniva bhārata

senayor ubhayor-madhye vi?hīdantam-ida? vacha?

English Translation ??

In this verse, Sanjay said - After saying that, Arjuna, the one who punishes enemies, talked to krishna, saying, "Govind, I won't fight." Then he became silent, O Dhritarashtra, thereafter, right in the middle of both armies, Lord Krishna smiled and spoke following words to Arjun, who was feeling very sad.

Lesson to learn

Arjun was feeling really sad about fighting against his own family in the war. He didn't want to fight because he was too attached to his family and friends. Seeing Arjun's sadness and confusion, Krishna took Arjun to the middle of the battlefield, between the two armies and explained Arjun that sometimes we have to do things we don't want to, for a greater cause.

He reminded Arjun that as a warrior, it was his duty to fight for what was right, even if it meant going against his own family. Krishna's words made Arjun to understand that sometimes we need to let go of our attachments and do what's necessary. This teaches us the importance of fulfilling our responsibilities, even when it's tough, and letting go of attachments that hold us back.

The Gita also talks about staying positive, just like Shree Krishna did during tough times. It tells us to keep our heads up and stay hopeful even when things aren't going well. It also says that every situation, good or bad, has a purpose and helps us grow. So, we should see challenges as opportunities to learn and get better. Lastly, it mentions that facing difficulties helps us improve, like how natural disasters make us stronger. So, we should welcome tough times as chances to grow both in our personal and professional lives.

Verse 2.11

?hrī bhagavān uvācha

a?hochyān-anva?hochas-tva? praj?ā-vādān?h cha bhā?hase

gatāsūn-agatāsūn?h-cha nānu?hochanti pa??itā?

English Translation ??

In this verse, The Supreme Lord said - Even though you're saying smart things, you're sad about something that doesn't deserve your sadness. Smart people don't feel sad for those who are alive or for those who have died.

Lesson to learn

In business or life, sometimes we feel sad or worried about things that seem important. But the Bhagavad Gita teaches us through Shree Krishna's words to Arjun that wisdom means not letting emotions cloud our judgment. Even when faced with tough decisions or challenges, it's important to stay calm and focused. Wise people don't get caught up in feeling sorry for themselves or regretting their actions. Instead, they accept whatever comes their way as part of the journey and keep doing their best without being attached to the outcome. Grandsire Bheeshma's example shows us that true wisdom lies in understanding that everything happens for a reason, and it's our duty to keep moving forward with courage and integrity, regardless of the circumstances.

Verse 2.12

na tvevāha? jātu nāsa? na tva? neme janādhipā?

na chaiva na bhavi?hyāma? sarve vayamata? param

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us vanish or disappear

Lesson to learn

In the Vedic tradition, when people talk about divine knowledge, they usually start by talking about understanding yourself. In the Bhagavad Gita, Shree Krishna starts with a surprising idea: that what we call the "self" is actually the soul, not just our body, and it's eternal, just like God. There's a verse from an old text called the ?hwetā?hvatar Upani?had that says creation is made up of three things—God, the soul, and Maya (which means the world of illusion)—and they're all eternal. In the Bhagavad Gita, Shree Krishna teaches us some important lessons for both life and how we manage things.

Krishna tells us that knowing ourselves is really important, just like the saying "Know Thyself". He explains that who we really are goes beyond just our bodies –we're eternal souls. Understanding this helps us see the bigger picture of life and what's truly important. Shree Krishna also talks about the timeless truths of creation, like the existence of God, the soul, and the world we live in.

Realizing these truths can help us focus less on temporary things and more on what really matters. And if our souls are eternal, it means there's life even after our bodies die, which encourages us to live with purpose and goodness. Following these teachings can make our lives richer and help us make better decisions in everything we do. If we believe the soul is eternal, it means there's life after our body dies. Shree Krishna talks about this in the next part of the Bhagavad Gita.

Verse 2.13

dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāra? yauvana? jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - Just like how a person (body) grows from being a child to a young adult to an old age person, In the same way, when someone dies, their soul moves into a new body. Wise people understand this and they are not confused or worried about it.

Lesson to learn

In simple words, Shree Krishna explains that our souls move from one body to another through many lifetimes. Even in one lifetime, our bodies change from being babies to adults to old people. Science tells us that our cells in the body constantly renew themselves, and within seven years, almost all cells are replaced. Even the molecules in our cells change quickly. Despite all these changes, we feel like the same person because we're not just our bodies but also spiritual souls inside. Krishna tells Arjun that since our bodies always change, our souls go through many bodies in one lifetime and also after death. Death is just the soul leaving the old body and taking on a new one. This idea is called reincarnation (Rebirth)

Many Eastern religions like Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism believe in reincarnation (Rebirth). Even in Western history, famous thinkers like Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates believed in it, as did mystics from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Early Christians and Jewish mystics also accepted reincarnation (Rebirth). In many tribal societies and newer spiritual movements like Spiritism and Theosophy, reincarnation (Rebirth) is believed in.

Verse 2.14

mātrā-spar?hās tu kaunteya ?hīto?h?a-sukha-du?kha-dā?

āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāns-titik?hasva bhārata

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - Hey, son of Kunti! When our senses come into contact with things or objects, we like or don't like, it makes us feel happy or sad for a short time. But these feelings don't last forever; they come and go like seasons change. So, hey, descendent of Bharat, it's important to learn to deal with them calmly without letting them upset us.

Lesson to learn

The human body has five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. These senses let us feel happy or sad when we interact with things. But these feelings don't last forever. They come and go, like how seasons change. For example, cold water feels good in summer but not in winter. So, both happy and sad feelings we get from our senses are temporary. If we let these feelings control us, we'll keep swinging between happy and sad. A smart person should learn to deal with both happy and sad feelings without getting upset by them.

In both work and life, we face situations that make us feel happy or sad, just like our five senses perceive different things. But these feelings are temporary, like the changing seasons. What brings joy today might cause trouble tomorrow. If we let these feelings control us, we'll keep swinging between highs and lows, unable to find stability. Instead, it's important to learn how to handle success and failure without letting them disrupt our peace of mind.

This lesson connects with a key idea in management and life: staying detached from outcomes. Just like in the Bhagavad Gita, where it's advised to focus on doing our duty without getting too attached to results, in management and life, it's essential to stay strong in the face of success and failures . This way, we can navigate challenges calmly and make wise decisions.

Verse 2.15

ya? hi na vyathayantyete puru?ha? puru?har?habha

sama-du?kha-sukha? dhīra? so ’m?itatvāya kalpate

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - Hey Arjun, the best of people are those who don't get too happy or too sad. They stay strong through both good and bad times. They're the ones who can be free from the cycle of birth and death.

Lesson to learn

In simple terms, the Bhagavad Gita teaches us important lessons for life and management. Shree Krishna tells Arjun to not get too caught up in feeling happy or sad because those feelings don't last. Instead, we should think carefully about why we want to be happy and why regular happiness doesn't satisfy us.

The answer is pretty straightforward. We all want to be happy because happiness is like sunshine, and we're like tiny sunbeams ( A small part of Sunshine). Just as sunbeams naturally want to be close to sunshine, we naturally want to be close to happiness because it's a part of who we are. But the happiness we get from things like food or fun doesn't last forever, isn't unlimited, and doesn't feel truly alive. Real happiness, like the brightness of the sun, should be everlasting, unlimited, and always fresh.

So, the key lesson here is to learn to handle both happy and sad feelings. Once we understand that true happiness comes from within and isn't dependent on external things, we can go beyond these feelings. This wisdom helps us manage our lives better and not let the ups and downs of the world control us.

Verse 2.16

nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sata?

ubhayorapi d?i?h?o ’nta stvanayos tattva-dar?hibhi?

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - People have noticed that temporary things don't last forever, and permanent things never vanish or disappear. This is what wise people have seen and figured out after looking at both kinds of things.

Lesson to learn

According to a sacred text called the ?hwetā?hvatar Upani?had, there are three things that always exist - God is everlasting, which means He always exists. He's also known as sat-chit-ānand, meaning - eternal, full of knowledge, and joyfull.

The individual soul doesn't vanish or perish, so it's also eternal. But the body will eventually die, so it's temporary. The soul is also sat-chit-ānand but very small, so it's called a?u sat, a?u chit, and a?u ānand.

Maya is the force that creates the world and it's eternal. But everything we see in the world, like objects, will come and go with time. So, even though the world is temporary, Maya itself is eternal.

Some people think the world is not real, but that's not the same as saying it doesn't exist at all. They believe that once we understand the truth about God, the world will disappear. But even enlightened people still see and interact with the world. They eat food and use things like paper and pens. So, the world must exist even for them.

The Taittirīya Upani?had says that God is everywhere in the world. If that's true, then the world must exist, even though it's temporary. So, calling it temporary (asat) doesn't mean it's not real. It just means it won't last forever.

Verse 2.17

avinā?hi tu tadviddhi yena sarvam ida? tatam

vinā?ham avyayasyāsya na ka?hchit kartum arhati

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - That whatever fills up your whole body, consider it as something that can't be destroyed. No one can destroy the soul that lasts forever.

Lesson to learn

Shree Krishna talks about how the soul and body are connected. He says that the soul fills the body. But what does that mean? Well, the soul is alive, it can feel and think. But the body is not alive on its own, it's just made of regular stuff, not aware. Still, the soul makes the body alive by being inside it. So, the soul spreads its awareness all over the body, making it alive too.

Some people wonder where exactly the soul is in the body. According to ancient texts called the Vedas, the soul is said to be in the heart. But then, how does the soul's awareness spread everywhere in the body? A wise person named Ved Vyas explains it like this: Just like when you put something cool on your forehead, your whole body feels cool, even though it's just in one spot. Similarly, even though the soul is in the heart, it spreads its awareness throughout the body.

Now, someone might ask how the soul can make the body aware if awareness is only a soul thing. Ved Vyas answers this too: Just like how a flower makes a garden smell nice, even though the smell comes from the flower. Similarly, the soul, being aware, makes the body aware too, by spreading its awareness in it.

The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that our inner self, or soul, is like the boss of our body. Just as the soul fills and gives life to the body, leaders should fill their teams or companies with their values and ideas. It's like making sure everyone in your group understands and believes in what you stand for. This helps everyone work together better.

Lastly, the comparison of a flower's scent spreading through a garden shows how leaders can affect their surroundings. Just like how a flower makes a garden smell nice, leaders can make their workplace positive and successful by showing good qualities and creating a happy atmosphere. This helps everyone feel good about their work and makes the whole team or company better.

Verse 2.18 - 2.19

antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktā? ?harīri?a?

anā?hino ’prameyasya tasmād yudhyasva bhārata

ya ena? vetti hantāra? ya?h chaina? manyate hatam

ubhau tau na vijānīto nāya? hanti na hanyate

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said - Only our physical body can be destroyed, but the soul inside us can't be destroyed. It's forever and everlasting. So, don't worry, fight bravely, descendant of Bharat (Arjuna).

Neither of them knows that - the one who believes the soul can kill and the one who believes the soul can be killed. Actually, the soul doesn't kill and can't be killed.

Lesson to learn

Our bodies are actually made from mud. Mud turns into things like vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils, and grass. Cows eat the grass and make milk. We eat these foods, and they become part of our bodies. So, it's true to say our bodies are made from mud.

When we die, our bodies can end up in three ways: burning, buried, or thrown into a river. If it's burnt, it becomes ashes, which are like mud. If it's buried, insects eat it and it becomes mud. If it's thrown into a river, sea creatures eat it, and their waste becomes part of the mud at the bottom of the sea.

So, mud goes through a cycle. It becomes food, which becomes bodies, and then those bodies return to mud. The Bible says, "For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return." This means our material bodies come from dust and go back to dust. Krishna tells Arjun that within our bodies is an eternal soul, which isn't made of mud. That's our true self.

When we think we are our bodies, we get scared of death. It's like dreaming of our head being chopped off - even though it's just a dream, we feel the pain until we wake up. Similarly, when we believe we are our bodies, we fear dying. But for wise people who see through this illusion, the fear goes away.

One may ask that, why murder is a crime if no one can actually kill another person. Well, the reason is that the body is like a vehicle for the soul, and hurting or destroying any living being's body is wrong and against the rules. The Vedas, ancient scriptures, clearly say, mā hinsyāt sarvabhūtāni - "Do not harm any living being." They even say that killing animals is wrong. However, there are times when the rules change and it's okay to use violence. For instance, if a snake is about to bite you, or if someone is attacking you with a weapon, or if someone is threatening your life, then it's okay to defend yourself with violence.

Verse 2.20

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin

nāya? bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūya?

ajo nitya? ?hā?hvato ’ya? purā?o

na hanyate hanyamāne ?harīre

English Translation ??

In this verse, Krishna said that the soul doesn't come into existence when we're born, and it doesn't disappear when we die. It's always been there, it's forever, it can't die, and it doesn't get old. Even when our body dies, the soul doesn't vanish or disappear

Lesson to learn

This verse talks about the everlasting nature of the soul. It says the soul exists forever and doesn't go through birth and death like the body does. The six changes mentioned - being, coming into existence, growing, changing, reducing, and dying - apply to the body, not the soul. When the body dies, only the body is destroyed, not the immortal soul. This idea is repeated in the Vedas, another ancient text. The Ka?hopani?had contains a mantra almost identical to the above verse of the Bhagavad Gita

na jāyate mriyate vā vipa?hchin nāya? kuta?hchin na babhūva ka?hchit

ajo nitya? ?hā?hvato ’ya? purā?o na hanyate hanyamāne ?harīre (1.2.18) [v25]

"The soul is never born, never dies, not created, and nothing creates it. It's eternal, never aging, never dying. Even when the body dies, the soul remains untouched."

In simple terms, this verse tells us that deep down, we all have something inside us that never fades away or dies. It's like our inner light, always shining. Even though our bodies go through a lot of changes – growing up, getting old, and eventually passing away – that inner light stays constant. When someone dies, it's just their body that stops working, but who they truly are, their essence, lives on forever. In today's world, where everything seems to change so fast, this message reminds us to focus on what really matters. Our jobs, ownership and even our bodies will all change over time, but our inner selves – our kindness, courage, and love – stay with us. So, it's important to nurture those qualities and remember that they're what truly define us.