Bhagavad-gita (with Vaishnava commentaries)
by Narayana Gosvami | 2013 | 327,105 words
The Bhagavad-gita Verse 2.26, English translation, including the Vaishnava commentaries Sarartha-varsini-tika, Prakashika-vritti and Rasika-ranjana (excerpts). This is verse 26 from the chapter 2 called “Sankhya-yoga (Yoga through distinguishing the Soul from the Body)�
Verse 2.26
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.26:
अथ चैनं नित्�-जातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम� �
तथाप� त्वं मह�-बाहो नैनं शोचितुम् अर्हसि � २६ �atha caina� nitya-jāta� nitya� manyase ṛt |
ٲٳ辱 tva� - naina� śdzٳܳ arhasi || 26 ||atha–if however; ca–a; enam–this (soul); jātam nityam–always takes birth; nityam–aɲ; –o; manyase–you think; ṛt–d; ٲٳ辱–sپ; tvam–ydz; -–O mighty-armed one; na–ndz; enam–for this (soul); śdzٳܳ–g𱹱; arhasi–bھٳپԲ.
If, however, you think that the soul is perpetually born and perpetually dies, there is still no reason for you to grieve, O mighty-armed one.
Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇ� Ṭīkā
(By Śīla վśٳ 䲹ī Ṭhܰ; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings�)
Śī Bhagan is saying, “O Arjuna, what I have explained to you so far has been based on scripture, but now I am explaining from the perspective of ordinary experience. Please listen very attentively. If you consider that the birth of the body is eternal, that is, that the self is born perpetually, and if you think that when the body perishes, the soul dies, even then, O mighty-armed Arjuna, as a valiant ṣaٰⲹ, it is your duty to fight.�
In regard to one’s prescribed duty, it is said in Śīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.54.40):
ṣaٰṇām ⲹ� � 貹پ-Ծٲ�
bhrātāpi bhrātara� hanyād yena ghorataras ٲٲ�According to the religious principles of the ṣaٰⲹs, who were created by Lord , one brother can even kill another brother. Therefore, ṣaٰⲹ-dharma is said to be very fearsome.
Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇ� Prakāśikā-vṛtti
(By Śīla Bhaktivedānta ⲹṇa Gosmī ѲᲹ; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named ٳ-ṣiṇ�)
Bhagan Śī Kṛṣṇa ceases to employ scriptural injunctions in His effort to make Arjuna under stand and is now making him understand from a common sense point of view. He has told him that if he understands the soul to be eternal, as explained in the Śrutis and other scriptures, then there is no reason for grief. But even from a common sense point of view, there is also no reason to grieve. Atheists like Cārvaka consider the soul to be temporary like the gross body and say that it does not exist after death. Also, according to the philosophy of a certain sect of Buddhists, if one considers the soul to be repeatedly taking birth and dying, there is still no reason to grieve for it.