7 LIFE-CHANGING SHLOKAS FROM THE BHAGAVAD GITA (PART-1: THE NATURE OF THE SOUL)

WHAT IS THE BHAGAVAD GITA?

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that narrates the divine conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead that covers various topics of spirituality such as the nature of man, relationship between man and God, devotional service, etc.

It occurs in the Bhishma Parva in the Mahabharata.

It is a life-changing book and I highly recommend you to read it and benefit yourself.

Here are some of the best shlokas from this scripture that will change your life forever.

1. देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति || (2.13)

dehino’sminyathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā |
tathā dehāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na muhyati ll

"As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change."

This verse clearly clearly establishes the nature of the soul and Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna that there is no cause for lamentation for the death of his kinsmen; in fact he should rejoice for their changing bodies from old to new ones. According to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, "Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the individual soul, the Supersoul, and nature- both material and spiritual, is called a sober man." Such a sober man does not lament for death of loved ones because he knows that the soul cannot be destroyed and changes its body again and again.

2. वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय

नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि |
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा
न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही || (2.22)

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

"As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

This verse further describes the nature of the soul by giving the example of a person changing his/her clothes. Just like a person puts on new clothes and discards the old ones, the soul similarly changes the body at the time of death. The soul is not destroyed at the time of death and hence, one must not lament or fear death.

Thus ends the first part of 7 LIFE-CHANGING SHLOKAS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA: THE NATURE OF THE SOUL. Comment and share your learnings and follow for the second part.