Read a Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on this Verse
dehq iNaTYaMavDYaae_Ya& dehe SavRSYa >aarTa )
TaSMaaTSavaRi<a >aUTaaiNa Na Tv& XaaeicTauMahRiSa )) 30 ))
dehé nityam avadhyo 'yaà
dehe sarvasya bhärata
tasmät sarväëi bhütäni
na tvaà çocitum arhasi
SYNONYMS
dehé-the owner of the material body; nityam-eternally; avadhyaù-cannot be killed; ayam-this soul; dehe-in the body; sarvasya-of everyone; bhärata-O descendant of Bharata; tasmät-therefore; sarväëi-all; bhütäni-living entities (that are born); na-never; tvam-you; çocitum-to lament; arhasi-deserve.
TRANSLATION
O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.
PURPORT
The Lord now concludes the chapter of instruction on the immutable spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in various ways, Lord Kåñëa establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is temporary. Therefore Arjuna as a kñatriya should not abandon his duty out of fear that his grandfather and teacher-Bhéñma and Droëa-will die in the battle. On the authority of Çré Kåñëa, one has to believe that there is a soul different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord, and not capriciously.
