Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 22

English Translation

As after rejecting wornout clothes a man takes up other new ones, likewise after rejecting wornout bodies the embodied one unites with other new ones.

Detailed Commentary

This is an explanation of Shloka 2.22 from the Bhagavad Gita: "Vasanṣi jirṇani... saṁyati navani dehi." In Shloka 2.13 of this very chapter, it was stated that the wise do not grieve over the change of bodies. Now, that same point is being illustrated with an example: just as a person does not grieve when changing old clothes, similarly, there should be no grief when the body changes. It is only humans who change clothes, not animals or birds; hence the word 'naraḥ' has been used. This word 'naraḥ' encompasses men and women, boys and girls, young and old alike. Just as a person discards old clothes and puts on new ones, so too the Atman (soul) leaves an old body and takes on a new one. Leaving an old body is called 'mrityu' (death), and taking a new body is called 'janma' (birth). As long as the Atman remains connected to Prakriti (material nature), it continues to acquire new bodies according to its karmas (actions) and thoughts. The plural form 'sharirani' indicates that until the Atman realizes its true nature, it continues to assume endless bodies. It is impossible to count how many bodies it has taken. Therefore, the word 'dehi' has been used, which points to all embodied beings. Here, the first part of the shloka speaks of old clothes, and the second about old bodies. Children's and young people's bodies also die, so why this suggestion? It is because a body dies only when its lifespan ends, and the ending of one's lifespan is the 'wearing out' of the body. Whether one is a child, a youth, or an elder, when the lifespan ends, all bodies are considered 'jirna' (worn out). In this shloka, Bhagavan uses the words 'yathā' (as) and 'tathā' (so) to explain that just as a person discards old clothes and takes new ones, so too the Atman leaves old bodies and moves into new ones. Here, the change of body is not an example of freedom, but an example to remove grief. Just as the wearer remains the same even after discarding old clothes and taking new ones, so too the Atman remains the same after leaving an old body and taking a new one; therefore, there is no reason to grieve. A second doubt arises: there is joy in taking new clothes, but sorrow in taking new bodies. The reason for this is that the sorrow of death stems from the desire to live. When the desire to live remains within and death comes before us, there is sorrow. When we identify the body itself as the Atman, then the death of the body causes sorrow. One who does not identify with the body experiences not sorrow, but bliss, at the time of death. Here, Bhagavan makes a distinction between the verb 'gṛihṇāti' (takes) for wearing clothes and 'saṁyati' (moves into) for acquiring a body. This distinction is made because we perceive ourselves as constant when changing clothes, but when the body changes, the Atman receives a new body. Special Point: In the Gita, verses like 'yena sarvamidaṁ tatam' (2.17) and 'nityaḥ sarvagataḥ sthāṇuḥ' (2.24) describe the Atman as constant and all-pervading. Then, verses like 'saṁyati navani dehi' (2.22) and 'shariraṁ yad avāpnoti' (15.8) speak of the Atman changing bodies. How can that which is all-pervading come and go? The resolution to this is that just as we say "one has become young" when moving from childhood to youth, in reality, the body becomes young, not the Atman. Similarly, the coming and going of the body is its inherent nature, not that of the Atman. The question then arises: what is the cause of this beginningless cycle of birth and death (janma-maraṇa)? The experience of the fruits of auspicious and inauspicious karmas, ignorance, and turning away from Bhagavan all lead to janma-maraṇa. The main reason is the misuse of the freedom that Bhagavan has bestowed. Janma-maraṇa will cease only when we make proper use of this freedom. Connection: Having described the immutable nature of the body through the previous example, the next three shlokas will elaborate on it in a different way.