Thread by @GitaGovindam

#gitarthavisesha #FirstShadanga #Adhyaya2 #Shloka18

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ।।

antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ ।
anāśino'prameyasya tasmādyudhyasva bhārata ।।

भारत - Oh bharata-clan born Arjuna, अप्रमेयस्य - unfathomable, immeasurable, अनाशिन: - indestructible, नित्यस्य - (Hence) eternal, शरीरिणः - related to Atma (residing in deha), इमे - 5 elementals, देहा - body, अन्तवन्त - prone to destruction, उक्ता: - as told by shastras,

तस्मात् - because there’s no need to worry about these 2 things (deha/Atma), युध्यस्व - go for the battle

(V)
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1. Our body is called 'deha'. The very meaning of 'deha' means to grow. That which grows (upacaya) will shrink (apacaya). Growing/Shrinking happens to those things that have parts (avayava). Any thing that has avayava will surely (niyamena) be destroyed

2. 5 elementals will be created & perished at various moment. What to say of our body that has avavaya (parts) of these?

3. Once punya/papa karmas are experienced by our deha, it completes it's purpose & gets destroyed.

4. Divya-sharira of paramAtma & nityasuris won't be destroyed as they are not made of these elementals (aprAkruta sharira)

There's a question as to why does Krishna insist this point (of deha being destructible & Atma eternal) in so much detail.. This truth is widely known to all of us..

Svami Desikan in tAtparya-candrika has given 6 (primary) reasons for this

1. Atma has no avayava & hence cannot be destroyed in a battle, whereas deha will be.
2. By nature, Atma & Deha have so much of differences. Deha is not Atma
3. There's nothing that stops deha from perishing
4. Even lightning looks stable when compared to deha

5. Since deha gets destroyed, there's no use being worried about it
6. We do not know when deha will perish, hence all of us must strive for moksha-prapti sadhana called prapatti (Surrendering to Him) immediately

Knowing about these 6 points is essential for humans to develop vairagya, leave worries about deha & attain moksha-prapti in this very birth..

(A)
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By this shloka, 'asat' padArtha is described. Deha of nityAtma gets destroyed as seen in dreams or magic..

We see water in dreams/magic. But when we wake up, we know for sure there's nothing like that. (pratyakshAdi pramana).

The same way sharira also appears/disappears

Deha gets ground to ash (after a person dies) & deha also transforms constantly (when a person lives).

Both these changes are not observed in nitya-shuddha-Atma. The deha is just a mirage that envelops Atma & will quickly dissipate when it is discerned

It should be noted that Krishna is not asking Arjuna to go for battle because Atma is eternal, but because the latter was clouded with false beliefs & worries. He wanted to stop Arjuna from svadharma avoidance

(D)
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Just as Limitless, All Pervading paramAtma is Eternal, so are jIvAtmas. It is just that these jIvAtmas are enveloped in a destructible sharira that is causing false perceptions for us. Hence, don't worry Arjuna. We all are nityas. Be fearless & go for the battle!!