Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 2, verse 13 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 2.13 · Dehino Asmin Yatha Dehe
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥
dehino’sminyathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā |
tathā dehāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na muhyati ||
Translation
Just as the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, so it passes into another body. The wise are not confused by this.
Explanation
Krishna’s first argument against grief: we already experience the body changing while we remain the same person. Death is one more change of the body, not the end of the Self.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga — “The Yoga of Knowledge”, which has 72 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.13 mean?
Just as the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, so it passes into another body. The wise are not confused by this.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 2.13?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.