atha cainaṃ nityajātaṃ nityaṃ vā manyase mṛtam
tathāpi tvaṃ mahābāho naivaṃ śocitumarhasi

But even if you think of Him as being constantly born and constantly dying, even then, O mighty-armed, you should not grieve.

atha = if, however; ca = also; enaṃ = this soul; nityajātaṃ = always born; nityaṃ = forever; vā = either; manyase = you so think; mṛtaṃ = dead; tathāpi = still; tvaṃ = you; mahābāho = O mighty-armed one; na = never; enaṃ = about the soul; śocituṃ = to lament; arhasi = deserve.;

avyakto’yamacintyo’yamavikāryo’yamucyate
tasmādevaṃ viditvainaṃ nānuśocitumarhasi

This (Self) is said to be Unmanifest, Unthinkable and Unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This to be such, you should not grieve.

avyaktaḥ = invisible; ayaṃ = this soul; acintyaḥ = inconceivable; ayaṃ = this soul; avikāryaḥ = unchangeable; ayaṃ = this soul; ucyate = is said; tasmāt = therefore; evaṃ = like this; viditvā = knowing it well; enaṃ = this soul; na = do not; anuśocituṃ = to lament; arhasi = you deserve.;

acchedyo’yamadāhyo’yamakledyo’śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarvagataḥ sthāṇuracalo’yaṃ sanātanaḥ

This Self cannot be cut, nor burnt, nor moistened, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable immovable and ancient.

acchedyaḥ = unbreakable; ayaṃ = this soul; adāhyaḥ = unable to be burned; ayaṃ = this soul; akledyaḥ = insoluble; aśoṣyaḥ = not able to be dried; eva = certainly; ca = and; nityaḥ = everlasting; sarvagataḥ = all-pervading; sthāṇuḥ = unchangeable; acalaḥ = immovable; ayaṃ = this soul; sanātanaḥ = eternally the same.;

nainaṃ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṃ dahati pāvakaḥ
na cainaṃ kledayantyāpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

Weapons cleave It not, fire burns It not, water moistens It not, wind dries It not.

na = never; enaṃ = this soul; chindanti = can cut to pieces; śastrāṇi = weapons; na = never; enaṃ = this soul; dahati = burns; pāvakaḥ = fire; na = never; ca = also; enaṃ = this soul; kledayanti = moistens; āpaḥ = water; na = never; śoṣayati = dries; mārutaḥ = wind.;

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro’parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇā-
nyanyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī

Just as a man casts off his worn out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied-Self casts off its worn out bodies and enters others which are new.

vāsāṃsi = garments; jīrṇāni = old and worn out; yathā = just as; vihāya = giving up; navāni = new garments; gṛhṇāti = does accept; naraḥ = a man; aparāṇi = others; tathā = in the same way; śarīrāṇi = bodies; vihāya = giving up; jīrṇāni = old and useless; anyāni = different; saṃyāti = verily accepts; navāni = new sets; dehī = the embodied.;

vedāvināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enamajamavyayam
kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam

Whosoever knows Him to be Indestructible, Eternal, Unborn, and Inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Partha, or cause others to be slain?

veda = knows; avināśinaṃ = indestructible; nityaṃ = always existing; yaḥ = one who; enaṃ = this (soul); ajaṃ = unborn; avyayaṃ = immutable; kathaṃ = how; saḥ = that; puruṣaḥ = person; pārtha = O Partha (Arjuna); kaṃ = whom; ghātayati = causes to hurt; hanti = kills; kaṃ = whom.;

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed.

na = never; jāyate = takes birth; mriyate = dies; vā = either; kadācit = at any time (past, present or future); na = never; ayaṃ = this; bhūtvā = having come into being; bhavitā = will come to be; vā = or; na = not; bhūyaḥ = or is again coming to be; ajaḥ = unborn; nityaḥ = eternal; śāśvataḥ = permanent; ayaṃ = this; purāṇaḥ = the oldest; na = never; hanyate = is killed; hanyamāne = being killed; śarīre = the body.;

ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaścainaṃ manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate

He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks He is slain, neither of these knows. He slays not, nor in He slain.

yaḥ = anyone who; enaṃ = this; vetti = knows; hantāraṃ = the killer; yaḥ = anyone who; ca = also; enaṃ = this; manyate = thinks; hataṃ = killed; ubhau = both; tau = they; na = never; vijānītāḥ = are in knowledge; na = never; ayaṃ = this; hanti = kills; na = nor; hanyate = is killed.;

antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ
anāśino’prameyasya tasmādyudhyasva bhārata

They have an end, it is said, these bodies of the embodied-Self. The Self is Eternal, Indestructible, Incomprehensible. Therefore, fight, O Bharata.

antavantaḥ = perishable; ime = all these; dehāḥ = material bodies; nityasya = eternal in existence; uktāḥ = are said; śarīriṇaḥ = of the embodied soul; anāśinaḥ = never to be destroyed; aprameyasya = immeasurable; tasmāt = therefore; yudhyasva = fight; bhārata = O descendant of Bharata.;

avināśi tu tadviddhi yena sarvamidaṃ tatam
vināśamavyayasyāsya na kaścitkartumarhati

Know That to be Indestructible by which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That — the Imperishable.

avināśi = imperishable; tu = but; tat = that; viddhi = know it; yena = by whom; sarvaṃ = all of the body; idaṃ = this; tataṃ = pervaded; vināśaṃ = destruction; avyayasya = of the imperishable; asya = of it; na kaścit = no one; kartuṃ = to do; arhati = is able.;