Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 27

Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥

Transliteration

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyurdhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca .
tasmādaparihārye.arthe na tvaṃ śocitumarhasi ॥

Meaning

For death is certain for one who is born, and birth is certain for one who dies. Therefore you should not grieve over what is unavoidable.

Word meanings

जातस्य – of one who is born
हि – for
ध्रुवः – certain
मृत्युः – death
ध्रुवम् – certain
जन्म – birth
मृतस्य – of one who dies
च – and
तस्मात् – therefore
अपरिहार्ये – unavoidable
अर्थे – in a matter
न – not
त्वम् – you
शोचितुम् – to grieve
अर्हसि – ought

Anvaya (word order)

जातस्य हि मृत्युः ध्रुवः, मृतस्य च जन्म ध्रुवम् । तस्मात् अपरिहार्ये अर्थे त्वं शोचितुं न अर्हसि ।

Explanation

This verse states life's most certain truth in the simplest words: ‘jatasya hi dhruvo mrityuh’ — for one who is born, death is certain. Everything else in the world may be uncertain — wealth, fame, health, relationships — but death is sure. No king, scholar or warrior has ever escaped it.

The second half — ‘dhruvam janma mritasya cha’ — says that for one who dies, rebirth is equally certain. Shankara clarifies that this applies to beings whose karma remains; those freed by Self-knowledge pass beyond the cycle. Birth and death are thus two ends of one cycle, like day and night.

Krishna's conclusion follows: ‘apariharye ’rthe’ — over what is unavoidable, grief is futile. Grief might make sense if it could change something. Weeping over what cannot be changed only wastes strength and time, and causes duty to be neglected.

We should also note that even if Arjuna refuses to fight, Bhishma, Drona and all the rest will one day die. Their death lies not in Arjuna's hands but in the hands of time. All that lies in Arjuna's hands is his own duty.

The verse teaches us to accept death. One who accepts this truth values each moment of life more deeply and does not postpone his duties.

Context

In 2.26 Krishna said that even if the self is taken to be born and to die, grief is unfitting. Here He gives the reason: birth and death are unavoidable. In the next verse (2.28) He says beings are unmanifest at the beginning and end, and manifest only in the middle.

Life lesson

Death is an inescapable truth of life. Instead of wasting strength grieving over what cannot be changed, give yourself fully to what is in your hands — your duty.

Key terms

Dhruva: certain, fixed
Apariharya: unavoidable, inevitable
Samsara: the cycle of repeated birth and death