dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati
dehinaḥ — of the embodied;
asmin — in this;
yathā — as;
dehe — in the body;
kaumāram — childhood;
yauvanam — youth;
jarā — old age;
tathā — similarly;
deha-antara — another body;
prāptiḥ — achieves;
dhīraḥ — the wise;
tatra — thereupon;
na muhyati — are not deluded
This verse is talking about how our soul, which is the true essence of who we are, goes through various stages during our lifetime. Just like we grow from being a child to becoming a teenager and then an adult, the soul itself doesn’t change, even though our physical body does.
Firstly, let’s think about our lives. Everyone starts as a baby, then becomes a child, then a teenager, and finally, we grow older. During all these changes, we might look different on the outside, but inside, we are still the same person with our thoughts, feelings, and spirit. The verse tells us that this happens not just in our lifetime but also when we die. When our physical body can no longer function, the soul moves to a new body, just like it grew from one form to another throughout life.
So, what does this mean? When someone we care about passes away, like Bhisma and Drona in this case, we might feel sad. However, the teaching here is that there’s no need to grieve. Instead, we should understand that they are just moving on to another part of their journey. Just like how we change from childhood to old age, they are simply transitioning to a new life, which is part of nature’s cycle.
Moreover, the verse emphasizes that wise people, those who understand this cycle, are not confused or sad about these changes. They know deep down that every end leads to a new beginning. For noble souls like Bhisma and Drona, they’re likely to experience a good rebirth, which means they may have a new body that allows them to continue their journey positively.
So, this entire idea shows us that life is a process of change — both in our physical bodies as we grow older and through the transitions the soul makes between different bodies. If we understand this, we can learn to appreciate life more fully, knowing that death is not the end, but just another phase in our journey.