2.18 Therefore fight Krishna speaks
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत
antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śharīriṇaḥ
anāśhino ’prameyasya tasmād yudhyasva bhārata
These bodies have an end. The one who wears them is said to be eternal, indestructible, beyond measure. Therefore fight.
Explanation
Therefore fight.
tasmād yudhyasva. The bodies have an end; the one who wears them does not.
The word therefore is where readers balk, and it should be noticed rather than smoothed over. The metaphysics has just been used as a premise for an order to kill.
Word by word
- anta-vantaḥ
- having an end
- ime
- these
- dehāḥ
- material bodies
- nityasya
- eternally
- uktāḥ
- are said
- śharīriṇaḥ
- of the embodied soul
- anāśhinaḥ
- indestructible
- aprameyasya
- immeasurable
- tasmāt
- therefore
- yudhyasva
- fight
- bhārata
- descendant of Bharat, Arjun
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