That which is not, shall never be; that which is, shall never cease to be. To the wise, these
truths are self-evident.
The Spirit, which pervades all that we see, is imperishable. Nothing can destroy the Spirit.
The material bodies which this Eternal, Indestructible, Immeasurable Spirit inhabits are all
finite. Therefore fight, O Valiant Man!
He who thinks that the Spirit kills, and he who thinks of It as killed, are both ignorant. The
Spirit kills not, nor is It killed.
It was not born; It will never die, nor once having been, can It cease to be. Unborn, Eternal,
Ever-enduring, yet Most Ancient, the Spirit dies not when the body is dead.
He who knows the Spirit as Indestructible, Immortal, Unborn, Always-the-Same, how
should he kill or cause to be killed?
As a man discards his threadbare robes and puts on new, so the Spirit throws off Its worn-
out bodies and takes fresh ones.
Weapons cleave It not, fire burns It not, water drenches It not, and wind dries It not.
It is impenetrable; It can be neither drowned nor scorched nor dried. It is Eternal, All-
pervading, Unchanging, Immovable and Most Ancient.
It is named the Unmanifest, the Unthinkable, the immutable. Wherefore, knowing the
Spirit as such, thou hast no cause to grieve.
Even if thou thinkest of It as constantly being born, constantly dying, even then, O Mighty
Man, thou still hast no cause to grieve.
For death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore
grieve not for what is inevitable.
The end and the beginning of beings are unknown. We see only the intervening
formations. Then what cause is there for grief?
One hears of the Spirit with surprise, another thinks It marvellous, the third listens
without comprehending. Thus, though many are told about It, scarcely is there one who
knows It.
Be not anxious about these armies. The Spirit in man is imperishable.
Thou must look at thy duty. Nothing can be more welcome to a soldier than a righteous
war. Therefore to waver in this resolve is unworthy, O Arjuna!
Blessed are the soldiers who find their opportunity. This opportunity has opened for thee
the gates of heaven.
Refuse to fight in this righteous cause, and thou wilt be a traitor, lost to fame, incurring
only sin.
Men will talk forever of thy disgrace; and to the noble, dishonour is worse than death.
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