BG 2.27

jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur

dhruvam janma mritasya ca

tasmad apariharye ‘rthe

na tvam socitum arhasi

SYNONYMS

jatasya — of one who has taken his birth; hi — certainly; dhruvah — a fact; mrityuh — death; dhruvam — it is also a fact; janma — birth; mritasya — of the dead; ca — also; tasmat — therefore; apariharye — of that which is unavoidable; arthe — in the matter; na — do not; tvam — you; socitum — to lament; arhasi — deserve.

TRANSLATION

One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.

jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur, alludes to the point that even if one thinks that there is only body no soul, yet it is a universal fact that whoever is born has to die. Here, dhruva implies a certain fact. dhruvam janma mritasya ca, means the reincarnation of soul- after death one will gets a body.

tasmad apariharye ‘rthe

na tvam socitum arhasi

So the connection between this verse and the previous one is that if we just consider life to be bunch of chemicals, then why to lament? As chemicals exist everywhere, and according to the principal of conservation of energy, none of the chemicals are permanently destroyed. So, the external form of a person may change; the body would have turned into dust, but the inner living force-the soul-transmigrates to another body.

Therefore, Krishna is comforting Arjuna with the wisdom that everyone who has born has to die. If you don’t fight this battle your elders are going to die anyways, and they will be reborn in the next life. So instead of giving up your duty to avoid which is unavoidable, you should do your duty. Such an act will confer upon you an auspicious destination in this life and the next.