Gita 02.28 – The mutability of everything materially magnifies the futility of grief
avyaktādīni bhūtāni
vyakta-madhyāni bhārata
avyakta-nidhanāny eva
tatra kā paridevanā (Bg 2.28)
Word-for-word:
avyakta-ādīni — in the beginning unmanifested; bhūtāni — all that are created; vyakta — manifested; madhyāni — in the middle; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata; avyakta — nonmanifested; nidhanāni — when vanquished; eva — it is all like that; tatra — therefore; kā — what; paridevanā — lamentation.
Translation:
All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?
Explanation:
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa, while continuing to persuade Arjuna to persevere in his duty and not abandon it out of fear for the death of his loved ones, highlights the temporariness of everything material in contrast to the eternality of spirit.
He states:
avyaktādīni bhūtāni: All living beings are unmanifest in the beginning.
vyakta-madhyāni bhārata: They become manifest in the middle.
avyakta-nidhanāny eva: Later, they again become unmanifest after destruction.
tatra kā paridevanā: Therefore, what is the need for lamentation?
When crops grow in a field, there are initially no crops. Even the seeds are not present at first—they come from a previous harvest. Thus, the crops are initially unmanifest. After a few months, the crops grow and become manifest. They continue growing until they reach a particular size, after which they are harvested. Once the grain is extracted, the plants are discarded, used as fodder, or recycled, making them unmanifest once again.
This is the inevitable cycle of nature—things are originally unmanifest, manifest for some time, and then become unmanifest again. This is the inescapable reality at the material level, an intrinsic truth that cannot be altered. Understanding that this cycle is unchangeable, one should neither become overly excited nor agitated by it, nor should one lament.
This verse builds upon the previous one, which stated that for one who is born, death is certain, and for one who has died, birth is certain—therefore, one should do their duty. Kṛṣṇa continues to emphasize the inevitability of change at the material level, explaining that things are initially unmanifest, then manifest for some time, and eventually become unmanifest again. The same applies to our bodies.
The word ‘bhūtāni’ is typically used in reference to embodied living entities. The soul is generally referred to as ātmā, highlighting its distinction from the body as a spark of consciousness. In contrast, bhūtāni refers to living entities in their embodied state—a soul residing within a particular body.
It’s amazing to contemplate how our large bodies, which can now fill an entire bed, once began as a tiny seed—just a single cell in our mother’s womb. At that time, our existence was practically unmanifest. Then, we grew to our full form, only to eventually perish, reducing once more to ashes. In the biblical tradition, this is expressed as “from dust to dust, ashes to ashes.”
This does not refer to the fate of our eternal soul—it is said only of the body. The soul remains eternal and unchanging, while the body undergoes transformation. This cycle of change is an inevitable reality within material existence.
Now, let’s consider two possibilities—either there is a soul or there is no soul.
If everything is just matter, then matter is simply changing states. Such changes should not be a cause for heart-wrenching lamentation. Why should they be? The chemicals that once existed in a particular arrangement or form are now in a different arrangement, and in the future, they will change again. All the processes we go through—growth, maintenance, deterioration, and reproduction—are essentially just chemical transformations.
Chemicals have no consciousness, let alone self-awareness or emotions. The movement of chemicals—whether passing into or out of the body, transferring between organs, or traveling as electrochemical signals across neuronal synapses—has no ultimate meaning in itself. Therefore, there is no need to become unduly disturbed or agitated by these changes.
On the other hand, if there is a soul, its presence does not alter the temporary nature of material existence at the level of empirical observation. The soul itself is eternal, but when entangled in matter, it becomes embodied within a material covering—the body—which still undergoes the inevitable changes of matter. As we have seen, it was unmanifest earlier, then became manifest, and eventually gets destroyed.
The previous verse indicates that one who has died will take birth again. A wise person, therefore, should focus on securing a good destination in the future rather than being caught up in emotions driven by sensory pleasures. Sense gratification arises from the perception of the body, the sense objects, and the desire to bring them into contact, yet this does not lead to real happiness.
Instead, by turning toward Kṛṣṇa and cultivating our spiritual relationship with Him, our emotions are elevated to a spiritual level, allowing us to experience lasting happiness. This is the true purpose and perfection of life—to relish eternal joy.
The purpose of this verse is not to dismiss everything as pointless due to inevitable transitions but to direct our consciousness toward the changeless spiritual reality and live in a way that helps us progress toward it.
This is what the Bhagavad-gītā emphasizes when instructing Arjuna—do not lament, do not grieve, but focus on following the path of dharma and attaining the eternal. Since changes at the material level are inevitable, there is no reason to lament over them.
Thank you.
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