Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 13
Bhagavad Gītā 2.13: Growing up, and beyond
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥
dehino'sminyathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā
tathā dehāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na muhyati
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
As the embodied self passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, so it passes on to another body; the steady person is not deluded by this. The verse introduces the Gītā’s teaching that the self continues through change.
For children
Krishna says: “You were a baby, now you are a child, one day you will be grown up. Your body keeps changing, but you are still you. Wise people are not scared of change.”
Arjuna is grieving at the thought of losing people he loves. Kṛṣṇa begins to explain what changes and what does not.
Word by word
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे — Just as, in this body, the one who lives in it
- dehin: the one who lives in the body, the self
- yathā: just as
- deha: body
कौमारं यौवनं जरा — passes through childhood, youth and old age
- kaumāra: childhood
- yauvana: youth
- jarā: old age
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर् — so too it moves on to another body
- tathā: so, in the same way
- dehāntara-prāpti: reaching another body
धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति — the wise are not troubled by this
- dhīra: a wise, steady person
- na muhyati: is not confused or upset
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.