dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
"O Arjuna, the soul dwelling in every body can never be killed. Therefore, you should not grieve for any living being."
What This Means:
Krishna summarizes his teaching on the soul: In every single body—human, animal, all living beings—there is an eternal soul that cannot be killed. Ever. By anyone. Knowing this, grief over death makes no sense. The body dies, but the being within continues.
Going Deeper:
This verse extends the teaching beyond humans to 'sarvani bhutani' (all beings). The soul in an ant is of the same nature as the soul in a human—eternal and indestructible. This is the basis for the Hindu concept of 'ahimsa' (non-violence) and respect for all life.
How To Apply This:
Look at every living being—people, animals, insects—and recognize: there's an eternal soul in there. This doesn't mean you never defend yourself or eat food, but it shifts your relationship with life. You start seeing the sacred in everything. Grief transforms into reverence.
Key Sanskrit Terms: