Gita 02.13 – The body is changing, not just growing – so focus on the unchanging

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dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13)

Word-for-Word:
dehinaḥ — of the embodied; asmin — in this; yathā — as; dehe — in the body; kaumāram — boyhood; yauvanam — youth; jarā — old age; tathā — similarly; deha-antara — of transference of the body; prāptiḥ — achievement; dhīraḥ — the sober; tatra — thereupon; na — never; muhyati — is deluded.

Translation:
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.

Explanation:
This verse is one that practically all devotees know, and it is often considered the ABC of spirituality—the fundamental teaching of the Bhagavad-gītā, as Srila Prabhupāda puts it: “You are not the body.”

dehino ’smin yathā dehe : The term dehino refers to the possessor of the body, the embodied soul. Asmin means “situated,” and yathā dehe indicates “as situated in the body.” This points to the idea that the embodied soul remains within the body even as the body undergoes changes.
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā : The soul transitions through different stages of life—from childhood (kaumāraṁ) to youth (yauvanaṁ) and then to old age (jarā).
tathā dehāntara-prāptir : In the same way, the soul attains another body after death.
dhīras tatra na muhyati : A dhīra, a sober and wise person, is not bewildered by this natural process of change.

What is being conveyed in this verse? The essence lies in the idea that one should not be bewildered by the changes of the body. Kṛṣṇa is not explicitly stating, “You are not the body—you are the soul.” Instead, He assumes that Arjuna already understands this and elaborates on the consequences of that knowledge.

This assumption is not without basis—Arjuna is already aware of the distinction between the body and the self. Earlier, Arjuna spoke about narake ‘niyataṁ vāso—about residing in hell. If a person were nothing more than the body, how could they go to hell? Clearly, something beyond the physical body must endure to experience such a consequence.

The idea that some aspect of us continues to exist beyond this life is already known to Arjuna. In that sense, Kṛṣṇa is not attempting to logically prove the existence of the soul to Arjuna or to convince him that the soul exists. Rather, Kṛṣṇa is explaining the logical consequences of the soul’s existence—a fact that Arjuna already knows and accepts.

The possibility that someone like Arjuna—born into a cultured family within the spiritual culture of those times—would not accept the existence of the soul is extremely remote. Hence, Kṛṣṇa does not find it necessary to address this directly, except as a passing consideration. Towards the end of the section, in verses 27 through 29, He briefly touches upon this possibility.

What, then, is the consequence of knowing that we are not the body but the soul? Kṛṣṇa explains that just as the embodied soul remains the same while the body changes—from boyhood to youth to old age—similarly, the soul remains unchanged even when the body undergoes a complete transformation (dehāntara-prāptir).

Understanding that it is only the peripheral—the body—that is changing, while the essential—the soul—remains constant, a dhīra, a sober person, is na muhyati, not bewildered.

The point is that Arjuna is sammūḍha-cetāḥ—overwhelmed and confused. Arjuna himself admitted, “I am feeling overwhelmed” (sammūḍha). Kṛṣṇa reassures him that he too can overcome this bewilderment (na muhyati) by meditating on the soul beyond the body.

The key point of this verse, relevant to the discussion, is: “Arjuna, do not grieve for the death of your loved ones because the essential person you love—the soul—is not going to die. Just as Bhīṣma was the same person when he was younger and remains the same person now in old age, the soul remains unchanged. Similarly, just as you loved your brothers when they were children and continue to love them now as adults, the same person will continue to exist even as they transition to another body. The person is not destroyed. Therefore, there is no need to lament.”

This verse holds great significance in terms of its implication and application in today’s society. Even in a spiritual society where people understood that they are not the body but the soul, they still cared for the body. Kings adorned themselves with opulent attire and decorations, reflecting their status and responsibilities. Moreover, skills such as dancing—activities we might associate with the body—were highly valued and cultivated in Vedic culture.

It is not that the body is to be rejected outright. The rejection of the body will be discussed in future verses. The point here is that, while acknowledging “I am not the body,” Kṛṣṇa emphasizes the practical application of this knowledge. The application is not to stop caring for the body entirely but to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the changes that occur to it (dhīras tatra na muhyati).

This is the primary application. While we cannot simply wish away our bodily existence, we should not allow our focus on the body to completely obscure our spiritual side. Becoming so entangled in bodily concerns that we neglect higher, spiritual aspects of life would indeed be a tragedy.

To prevent this from happening, we must ensure that we take care of the body, as it is a necessity. If we neglect it, we will become weak and may even die. We care for the body because society expects it—our parents, relatives, and the community all require us to perform bodily duties.

Therefore, no excessive pressure or training is needed to attend to bodily matters. However, we do require repeated reminders of our spiritual side, because it is so easy to forget, neglect, or overlook. To prevent this, we must regularly remind ourselves of our spiritual nature through consistent hearing and reading.

Now, coming to the crux of the argument in this verse, the point is that there is both external and internal reincarnation. Kṛṣṇa is explaining that there is no essential difference between the two.

The body undergoes various changes—it passes through stages of childhood, youth, and old age, yet the person remains the same. Similarly, just as the person remains unchanged through these bodily transformations, they will also remain the same during the more drastic, dramatic, and even traumatic change when one body is replaced by another. Ultimately, it is the same process.

In reality, we don’t often think of the body in terms of change. We may consider it in terms of growth. However, sometimes, when we look at a picture of ourselves as an infant, or show it to someone who has only known us as an adult, they might not even recognize us. The change is so significant that the person can often be unrecognizable.

The important point is that this is not just growth in the sense of the same body growing larger. We tend to think of the same body as a baby’s body that has grown over time, with perhaps some changes in complexion or other features, which is why it may not be recognizable. But it is not quite like that. From a scientific perspective, all the cells in the body are constantly dying and being replaced. Even the brain cells are replaced. So, what is it that gives us the notion of sameness?

It is similar to the shape of a river, which gives us the sense that the river is the same. However, the water in the river is constantly changing. In that sense, the river itself is changing. We might give the river a name—Godavari, Kaveri, or any other name—but we understand that the water is constantly flowing and never stays the same. It is only because the riverbed and the river path remain relatively consistent that we consider the river to be the same.

Similarly, the cells in the body are constantly changing, with the new ones replacing the old. So, it’s not merely growth—it’s actual change.

Just as the body undergoes a thorough and total change over time, yet the person remains the same, this change occurs gradually, which is why it doesn’t register with us. However, when this thorough change happens abruptly—when the soul transitions from one body to another—it jolts us. We start thinking, “What is happening?”

We become deluded. But Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna to see with the eyes of knowledge, understand that the soul is not changing—it remains unaffected. Just as the soul remains the same when the body undergoes changes within a single lifetime, similarly, the soul stays the same when the body undergoes change across lifetimes. Therefore, knowing the continuity of the soul across bodies, do not grieve.

This is the consistent theme of this section. Arjuna is grieving, and Kṛṣṇa’s mood is to counter Arjuna’s grief by imparting knowledge—na muhyati—do not be deluded. Arjuna’s illusion is the source of his grief. While illusion can sometimes create a strong desire to acquire and enjoy sense objects, in Arjuna’s case, it causes him to become entangled in grief. Kṛṣṇa is freeing him from this grief by providing spiritual knowledge.

Thank you.