Bhagavad Gita 2.11

Sanskrit

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे । गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥2.11॥

Transliteration

aśocyānanvaśocastvaṃ prajñāvādāṃśca bhāṣase | gatāsūnagatāsūṃśca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ ‖2.11‖

Meaning

“The Blessed Lord said: You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.”

Key learning

Krishna's teaching begins: you're grieving over the wrong thing. What you truly are can't be lost. This is the Gita's core comfort, something in you doesn't die.

How to apply this today

When fear of loss grips you, remember that the deepest part of a person isn't as fragile as it seems. This doesn't erase grief, but it takes the panic out of it. Hold loved ones dearly, while resting in the sense that what's essential isn't so easily broken.

Theme: The Yoga of Knowledge

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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