Gita 02.15 – Those unaffected by the temporary attain the eternal
yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete
puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ
so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate (Bg 2.15)
Word-for-word:
yam — one to whom; hi — certainly; na — never; vyathayanti — are distressing; ete — all these; puruṣam — to a person; puruṣa-ṛṣabha — O best among men; sama — unaltered; duḥkha — in distress; sukham — and happiness; dhīram — patient; saḥ — he; amṛtatvāya — for liberation; kalpate — is considered eligible.
Translation:
O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation.
Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa continues to instruct on how to apply the knowledge that we are not the body. First, verse 2.13 explains that because the soul is unchanging, we should not be bewildered by the body’s changes. However, since these changes do affect us, verse 2.14 advises us to tolerate them, and verse 2.15 describes the benefit of such tolerance:
yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete : One who is not agitated, troubled, or disturbed
puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha : This poetic rhyme appears repeatedly in the Bhagavad-gītā. The poetic effect is enhanced by the repetition of similar-sounding words, as seen in verse 2.4 with madhusūdana and ari-sūdana. Though these words are in different lines, their placement at the end creates a beautiful rhythmic effect. Similarly, in this verse, we have puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha.
The first puruṣaṁ refers to the person Kṛṣṇa is describing—someone who tolerates life’s ups and downs without becoming disturbed. The term puruṣarṣabha refers to Arjuna, to whom Kṛṣṇa is speaking. The word ṛṣabha means the best—a leader or king. Thus, puruṣarṣabha means “best among men.” Kṛṣṇa uses this term to encourage Arjuna, reminding him of his elevated stature as a great and gallant person.
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ – one who is equanimous in both happiness and distress,
so ’mṛtatvāya kalpate – such a person becomes eligible for immortality (amṛta, or nectar).
Kṛṣṇa here is referring not to heavenly nectar but to immortality. By attaining immortality, a person can reclaim their spiritual nature and eternal life—the true essence of the soul.
How do we move forward in our life’s journey? The understanding that “I am not the body; I am the soul” must transform our goals and help us progress on life’s path. Without such a transformation, the knowledge remains abstract and theoretical, unable to truly guide us.
If we understand that we are not who we think we are—for example, if we have been told, “You are born into a poor family—you are a poor person,” and then we suddenly learn that we are, in fact, princes, the children of a very wealthy person—this change in knowledge should naturally lead to a change in our goals. This realization would prompt us to ask, “Who are we? If we belong to a wealthy family, who is that family? How do we belong to them, and how can we reconnect with them?”
Similarly, when we understand that we are not the body but the soul—that the soul is eternal while the body is temporary—this knowledge should naturally inspire a desire for change. This desire motivates us to move forward in life by encouraging us to focus on the spiritual dimension.
We focus on the spiritual when we recognize that the material is temporary. At the same time, we have both the right and the opportunity to attain the spiritual if we can just direct our attention toward it. By setting aside distractions and staying focused on the eternal aspect of life, we can align ourselves with the true purpose of our existence.
In general, the meaning of life is to live with intention, and the ultimate purpose is to connect with Kṛṣṇa. However, Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate goal of spiritual life is not yet discussed here. What is emphasized at this stage is the understanding that we are not the body but the soul. Once we grasp that the soul is eternal, it naturally inspires us to seek the eternal level of reality.
This realization begins with tolerance. Why does tolerating the temporary help us attain the eternal? Because our position in either the temporary or the eternal is determined by where our emotions are entangled. If our emotions remain tied to the temporary, we stay in the temporary. Conversely, if our emotions are anchored in the eternal, we naturally move toward the eternal. The key to this transition is redirecting our emotions from the temporary to the eternal, thereby aligning ourselves with the unchanging reality of the soul.
Here, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes redirecting our emotions away from the temporary, which means not being affected by it. For example, consider a person watching a movie who becomes deeply engrossed. The emotions generated by the movie—perhaps fear during a horror scene—might cause the person to cry, tremble, or sweat, thinking, “What is going to happen to me?”
However, if that same person realizes, “I am safe; this is just a movie,” they can shift their attention away from the screen and recognize there is no real danger. This understanding allows them to detach from the movie’s effects, realizing they are separate from it. Similarly, as souls, to the extent we get absorbed in bodily emotions, we forget the reality of our spiritual nature, much like a movie spectator loses awareness of life beyond the screen. As souls, the more we let bodily emotions carry us away, the less we can experience spiritual emotions, leaving us entangled in the material world. Therefore, it is vital to detach from bodily emotions, remain unaffected by them, and thereby reclaim our spiritual identity.
This task is challenging because the material is easily perceivable to us, while the spiritual is not. Recognizing the difficulty, Kṛṣṇa inspires Arjuna by addressing him as puruṣarṣabha—”the best among men.” He encourages Arjuna, reminding him of his ability to take on challenging tasks: “You are capable, O Arjuna. Take up this challenge, perform this difficult task, and by doing so, you will prove your caliber and act in a glorious manner.”
Kṣatriyas thrive on challenges, and Kṛṣṇa exhorts Arjuna to embody the qualities of a true puruṣarṣabha—to be like the person who tolerates and, through such tolerance, attains immortality. In this way, Kṛṣṇa urges Arjuna to bear whatever inevitable pain may arise, including the sorrow of the deaths that may occur on the battlefield.
Thank you.
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