śhrī bhagavān uvācha
aśhochyān-anvaśhochas-tvaṁ prajñā-vādānśh cha bhāṣhase
gatāsūn-agatāsūnśh-cha nānuśhochanti paṇḍitāḥ
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha — the Supreme Lord said;
aśhochyān — not worthy of grief;
anvaśhochaḥ — are mourning;
tvam — you;
prajñā-vādān — words of wisdom;
cha — and;
bhāṣhase — speaking;
gata āsūn — the dead;
agata asūn — the living;
cha — and;
na — never;
anuśhochanti — lament;
paṇḍitāḥ — the wise
In this verse, Krishna, who is speaking to Arjuna, is basically pointing out that Arjuna is upset over something that doesn’t need to cause him so much sadness. He tells Arjuna that while he is using wise-sounding language, he is actually failing to understand a fundamental truth about life and death.
Krishna says that a genuinely wise person doesn't get upset about either life or death. This means that when someone is really aware of what life is about, they realize that the physical body is not the most important thing. Instead, they understand that there is a deeper essence - the soul - which doesn't die.
For instance, think about how we sometimes worry about losing a loved one or fear our own death. It’s natural to feel sad in those moments, but Krishna is encouraging us to see the bigger picture. He wants Arjuna to realize that the soul, which represents who we really are inside, is eternal and cannot be destroyed. Therefore, the sadness over losing a physical body is misplaced because it’s the soul that carries on.
Through this teaching, Krishna is indirectly saying that Arjuna should not be so hard on himself or feel so bad about the situation at hand. Instead of focusing on temporary feelings of sadness about those who have passed away or could be lost on the battlefield, he should elevate his understanding and view the situation from a higher perspective.
Later in the Gita, Krishna expands on this idea, explaining that it’s essential to understand our relationship with the body, the soul, and a higher power, which governs everything. By grasping this knowledge, we can find peace amidst the turmoil of life, allowing us to act with greater wisdom, rather than being swayed by emotions tied to material existence. Essentially, Krishna is inviting Arjuna—and us—to think beyond the body and recognize the deeper, eternal nature of life.