Bhagavad Gita 2.30

[Paramananda das]

Macmillan:

TEXT 30

dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam dehe sarvasya bharata tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam socitum arhasi

SYNONYMS

dehi--the owner of the  material body; nityam--eternally; avadhyah--cannot be killed; ayam--this soul; dehe--in the body; sarvasya--of everyone; bharata--O descendant of Bharata; tasmat--therefore; sarvani--all; bhutani--living entities (that are born); na--never; tvam--yourself; socitum--to lament; arhasi--deserve.

TRANSLATION

O descendant of Bharata, he  who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not  grieve for any creature.

PURPORT

The Lord now concludes the chapter of  instruction on the immutable spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in  various ways, Lord Krsna establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is  temporary. Therefore Arjuna as a ksatriya should not abandon his duty out  of fear that his grandfather and teacher--Bhisma and Drona--will die in the  battle. On the authority of Sri Krsna, one has to believe that there is a soul  different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or  that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting  from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not  encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual  need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord,  and not capriciously.

latest editing by BBT:

Text 30

dehi nityam avadhyo ’yam dehe sarvasya bharata tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam socitum arhasi

Translation

O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

The Lord now concludes the chapter of instruction on the immutable spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in various ways, Lord Krishna establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is temporary. Therefore Arjuna as a kshatriya should not abandon his duty out of fear that his grandfather and teacher—Bhishma and Drona—will die in the battle. On the authority of Sri Krishna, one has to believe that there is a soul different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord, and not capriciously.

comments: BBT editing notes:

2.30: You can never be slain
dehi nityam avadhyo ’yam dehe sarvasya bharata tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam socitum arhasi
Published editions	Original manuscript
[Word for word] dehi—the owner of the material body; nityam--eternally; avadhyah—cannot be killed; ayam—this soul; dehe—in the body; sarvasya—of everyone; bharata—O descendant of Bharata; tasmat—therefore; sarvani—all; bhutani—living entities (that are born); na—never; tvam—yourself; socitum—to lament; arhasi—deserve.	The owner of the material body,Nityam=eternal, Avadhyah=unfit for being killed,Ayam=this soul,Sarvasya=of every body,Bharata=oh the descendant of Bharata, Sarvani=all, Bhutai=living entities ( that areborn) Na=never, Tvam=yourself, Socitum=for lalmetation, Arhasi=deserve.
[Translation] O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature living being.	Oh the descendant of Bharata,the owner of the body is always unfit for being in all bodies and as such you do not deserve to lament for any one of all living entities.
Comment
The word-for-word meanings in both editions are the same, except that for tvam the First Edition said “yourself.” In the Second Edition this has been changed—quite rightly—to “you.” Tvam is not a reflexive pronoun, and the English reflexive pronoun “yourself” doesn’t belong here. What fits is the simple pronoun—“you.” “You [not “yourself”] never deserve to lament.” “You [not “yourself”] need not grieve.” The words “is eternal” (First Edition) do not appear in Srila Prabhupada’s original manuscript. The word nityam here means “eternally”—or, as Srila Prabhupada gives it, “always.” It modifies avadhyah. Thus, “always unfit for being slain.” Putting that negatively, as the original editor chose to do, the “always” becomes “never”—“he can never be slain.”

The question I have is if Srila Prabhupadas original manuscript seems even different than both of these editions .

Secondly is" living being" better than "creature."..the question is this did Srila Prabhupada actually write :

Oh the descendant of Bharata,the owner of the body is always unfit for being in all bodies and as such you do not deserve to lament for any one of all living entities

Then that is in none of the present editiones:

"Matter Grows on the Platform of Spirit"

73/08/31 London, Bhagavad-gita  2.30
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Devotee:

dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam dehe sarvasya  bharata tasmat sarvani bhutani na tvam socitum arhasi [Bg.  2.28]

"O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can  never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature."

Prabhupada: Dehi nityam avadhyo 'yam dehe  sarvasya bharata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began,  dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Deha, dehi. Dehi  means one who possesses the body. Just like guni. Asthate in prata.(?) The  grammatical. Guna, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin sabda. So the nominative  case of dehin sabda is dehi. Dehi nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Krsna has  explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth,  it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire  [Bg. 2.20]. In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can  kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bharata. This is very  important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other  bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even  within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe.  Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no  soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the  authoritative statement by Krsna: sarvasya. And in other place, Krsna says,  sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah: [Bg. 14.4] In all species of  life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tasam mahad  yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Aham  bija-pradah pita: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother  there is no offspring, so the father is Krsna and the mother is material nature,  or spiritual nature.

There are two natures. That is explained in the  seventh verse. The material nature and the spiritual nature. Or the superior  nature or inferior nature. Just like in our body there are inferior parts and  superior parts. Body is the same. But still there are different parts of the  body. Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered  superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the  superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give  somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the  left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this  hand...? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature,  the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source,  Absolute Truth... Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is emanating from  Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference  between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature,  God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they  have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they  have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no  God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.

Therefore, this body, although this is  material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehi,  or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature,  but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of  Krsna. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya,  sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals,  those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any  distinction between a human being or an animal. Panditah sama-darsinah. Because  he's pandita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there.  Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane [Bg. 5.18]. Within the first-class learned  brahmana, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne  brahmane gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, suni -- suni means the dog  -- candala, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is  not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is  soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya  bharata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Krsna or some rascal  philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have  to accept Krsna, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya.  Many places, Krsna says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such  distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmat sarvani bhutani.  Again, He says, sarvani bhutani. Na tvam socitum arhasi. It is your duty. Krsna  is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed.  In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The  body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg.  2.20]. But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets  another body, that's all." Deha, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13].  Dehantara-praptih. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the  next verse also.

For a ksatriya who are engaged in fighting, in  religious fight... Fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then  the fighting is all right. So ksatriya killing in the religious fight, he's not  responsible, he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brahmana. He sacri... He  puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly,  ksatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained  in the next verse. "So it your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your  kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehi, avadhya,  you cannot kill, he's eternal." Now, dehe sarvasya bharata, this important point  you should note it that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform  of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't  matter. But... Therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit.  Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence by  the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on  spirit. Therefore, it is called inferior. Yayedam dharyate jagat. Dharyate, it  bears. The spirit is there; therefore, the gigantic universe is resting on the  spirit. Either the supreme spirit Krsna, or the small spirit. There are two  kinds of spirit. Atma and paramatma. Isvara and paramesvara.

So the matter is explained by Krsna, apareyam  itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param yayedam dharyate. Jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam  dharyate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in  Bhagavad-gita. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in  the air? That is also explained. Gam avisya aham ojasa dharayami. That, just try  to understand. A big 747 airplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is  floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is  there. Not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is  flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is  depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any  disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall  down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gita, gam avisya  aham ojasa. Krsna enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the...  Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. It is stated in the  Brahma-samhita.

eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim yac chaktir  asti jagad-anda-caya  yad-antah andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham govindam adi-purusam tam  aham bhajami [Bs. 5.35]

Without Krsna's entering into the matter, nothing can work.  Andantara-stha. Within this universe, He is there as Garbhodakasayi Visnu.  Therefore the universe exists. Andantara-stha. And within the universe there are  so many material, I mean to say, identities, entities. Even this atom. The  sastra says even within the atom, He, as Paramatma, He is within the body of  everyone. Not only within the body of living entities, but He is within the  paramanu, the atom. They are studying now atomic energy. Still they are finding  difficulty. Dividing, dividing, dividing. Because they cannot find out that  there is God, there is Krsna.

So without Krsna's, I mean to say, presence, nothing can exist. Therefore,  one who is advanced Krsna conscious, he sees only Krsna. Not the outward  covering. Because without Krsna nothing can exist. In the Caitanya-caritamrta,  it is said: sthavara-jangama. There are two kinds of entities: moving and not  moving. Moving means sthavara and... Moving means jangama. Sthavara-jangama. And  sthavara means not moving. So there are two kinds of entities. So you can see  these two kinds of entities, some of them are moving, some of them are not  moving. But a maha-bhagavata sees both the entities, moving and not moving, but  he does not see the moving or not moving. He sees Krsna. Because he knows that  the moving means living force. So living force, that is also Krsna's energy. And  the nonmoving is material. That is also Krsna's energy.

So in everything he sees only Krsna.  Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs.  5.38]. Sadaiva. They sometimes inquire, "Have you seen God?" Those who are  actually devotees, advanced devotee, he's simply seeing Krsna, nothing else.  Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38].  Sadaiva means always. Hrdayesu vilokayanti. Yam syamasundaram  acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. So this is...  More you advance in Krsna consciousness, you'll simply see Krsna. And if you  become practiced to see Krsna always, sada tad-bhava-bhavitah... Yam yam vapi  smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Yad yad bhavam. So if you always  think of Krsna... That is Krsna's instruction also. Manmana bhava mad-bhakto  mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always think of Me." That is the  first-class yogi, who thinks of Krsna always. Yoginam api sarvesam  mad-gatenantar-atmana bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]. He's  first-class yogi. And devotee is. We already... Otherwise, why he should think  of Krsna? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji. One, only bhaktas can think of  Krsna always. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. "Because you are My bhakta your duty  is to think of Me always." Is it very difficult task? You are seeing Krsna in  the temple. The more you see Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, twenty-four hours  engagement in Krsna consciousness means you'll be practiced to see Krsna always.  This is Krsna consciousness movement. You cannot forget Krsna even for a moment.  And that is the instruction. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru  [Bg. 18.65]. These four things. When there is Deity in the temple, you see and  you get the impression. When out of the temple also you can see within you  heart, if you have developed love for Krsna. Otherwise, officially, you come to  the temple and as soon as... "Botheration, let me forget it." That is another  thing. But the whole process is meant for developing love for Krsna. Sa vai  pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhaktir adhoksaje. That is  first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system. This Krsna  consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating  people to think of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking.  We cannot think of anyone unless we love him. If you love somebody, then you can  think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved. Say one boy, another  girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them always. "When  we shall meet again, when we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-mana bhava  mad-bhaktah. You can become a devotee of Krsna, you can think of Krsna always,  provided you have developed love for Krsna.  Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. By bhakti, you can develop  your love for Krsna. That is required.

So in the lower stage of animal life, Krsna is  there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bharata. In another place, Krsna says this dehi  or ksetra-jna, the owner of the body is there, and there is another ksetra-jna,  another owner. That is Krsna. Ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata  [Bg. 13.3]. As the individual soul is there within the body, similarly, the  Supersoul, Krsna, is also there. Both of them there. Both of them there. So He  is the owner of all bodies. All bodies. Sometimes Krsna is accused by the  rascals, that "Why He danced with other's wife?" But actually He is the  proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. I am not proprietor; He is the proprietor. So  if the proprietor dances with his, I mean to say, maidservants, or devotees,  what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? He is their proprietor. You are not  proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bharata. He is... The individual soul is in every body  and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor. Krsna says that bhoktaram  yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Mahesvaram, He's the supreme  proprietor. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He is actual friend. If I have got some  lover, I am friend, I am not friend. Actual friend is Krsna. Suhrdam  sarva-bhutanam. As it is said, tasmad sarvani bhutani. Krsna is the real friend.  So if the gopis dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the  wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Krsna, they think it is  immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Krsna is the  real husband. Therefore, He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married  sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the  real husband. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29].

So one who does not know Krsna, rascals, they  accuse Krsna as immoral of woman-hunter, like that. And they take pleasure in  this. Therefore, they paint pictures of Krsna, His affairs with the gopis. But  they do not paint picture how He is killing Kamsa, how He is killing the demons.  They do not like this. This is sahajiya. They, for their debauchery, for their  business of debauchery, they like to be supported by Krsna. "Krsna has done  this." "Krsna has become immoral. So therefore we are also immoral. We are great  devotee of Krsna, because we are immoral." This is going on. Therefore, to  understand Krsna, it requires a little better intelligence. Better intelligence.  Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavan means the first-class  intelligent wise. Mam prapadyate. He understands what is Krsna. Vasudevah sarvam  iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Such kind of intelligent mahatma... You can find out  rascal mahatma, simply by changing dress, without Krsna consciousness, declaring  himself as God or Krsna. Kick on their face. Krsna is different from all these  rascals. But if you understand Krsna, if you are so fortunate -- ei rupe  brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only the most  fortunate persons can understand Krsna, what is Krsna. Ei rupe.

There are many, many millions and trillions of  living entities within this universe. And they are rotating in different species  of life, 8,400,000 -- in this way, unfortunate. Simply repetition, birth and  death, birth and death in different... Out of them, if one is the greatest  fortunate, he is given the chance, guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija. By  the mercy of guru and Krsna, he gets the seed of devotional service. And if he's  intelligent, unless he is intelligent, otherwise how he gets the seed? That is  initiation. And if he waters... Just like if you get a nice seed, you have to  sow it and pour little, little water... Then it will grow. Similarly, anyone who  by great fortune has come into Krsna consciousness, the seed of devotional  service, he should water it. And what is the water? Sravana-kirtana-jale karaye  secana. This is watering. This hearing and chanting about Krsna. This is  watering. Don't be absent from the class. This hearing and chanting is watering  the seed of devotional service. If you make it official and be absent from  hearing... This is most important thing. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23].  This is most important thing. To hear. Sravanam kirtanam does not mean hearing  and chanting of any other entity. No. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam. The rascals,  they have manufactured "kali-kirtana".Where is there in sastra there is  kali-kirtana, siva-kirtana? No. Kirtana means glorifying the Supreme Lord,  Krsna. That is kirtana. Not any other kirtana. But they have manu...  competition, kali-kirtana. Where is in the sastra kali-kirtana? Durga-kirtana?  These are all nonsense. Simply Krsna. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam  pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Krsna should be worshiped, Krsna should be heard,  Krsna should be chanted, Krsna should be remembered. In this way, you'll advance  Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.  (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973

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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with  permission.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

"Therefore speak clearly. What should I do and not do? "

"Do not lament, fight." In two verses, Krishna explains this.

comment: Another translation to this vers I saw was:

O Arjuna this eternal soul within the body of every living entity is immortal, therefore you should not lament for any  being 

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Thus in the course of teaching in brief the incomprehensibility of the  eternal soul, the explanation of why one has no need for lamentation of the  physical body is being concluded. The embodied self, meaning the eternal soul is  quite clear.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary How is the living entity indestructible? By the auspices of the Supreme Lord  Krishna, of whom which a portion is residing within every living entity as the  eternal soul for the protection of every living entity. This is why the living  entity is know to be indestructible not due to any strengths of their own.  Physical elements, actions and time are the attributes of all living entities  which exist and cease to exist solely by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Now begins the summation. In the Padma Purana it is stated: Establishing Himself within the heart of every living entity the Supreme Lord  protects each and every living entity eternally. Permanent objects like the  immortal soul are protected eternally and impermanent objects such as the  physical body are protected temporarily. In His manifested form or in His unmanifest form, appearing or not appearing, throughout the material existence  the Supreme Lord Krishna maintains and sustains all living entities for their  highest good.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary The eternal soul embodied within the physical body regardless whether it is a  human earthly body or the physical bodies possessed by the demigods in the  heavenly spheres; the immortal soul is eternally invulnerable even though the  body perishes. Hence understanding this principle as fundamental whatever  diversity and varieagatedness in the forms of bodies born from the womb of a  female who was also conceived in the womb of a female that exists from the  demigods down through the human species as well as to the animal species and the  fish species and even including the immovable plants and trees it should be  clearly understood that equanimity prevails regarding the essential nature of  the immortal soul abiding therein whatever the bodily form and is eternal.  Whereas the physical body is transient. So Arjuna is being instructed that  factually according to this proper understanding regarding all living entities,  he has no basis to lament for any being.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary By the distinctive singular use of the soul being embodied in this verse it  is clear that Arjuna is not under illusion that all souls are one. So Lord  Krishna speaks of the soul within the body of a every living entity indicating  different bodies for different species all being receptacles of enjoyment in  variegated ways. But due to the reality that all souls are immortal it does not behove Arjuna to lament as the soul is always entering into various external  forms until liberation has been achieved.