After declaring the eternal nature of the soul, Lord Krishna now provides the first logical analogy to help Arjuna understand this profound truth. He uses a simple, universally observable fact of life to illustrate the concept of reincarnation. The Dehino Smin Yatha Dehe verse is designed to bridge the gap between the abstract idea of an eternal soul and the tangible reality of our own lives, making the concept of the soul’s journey feel both intuitive and logical.
Sanskrit Verse
देहिनोऽस्मिन् यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १३ ॥Transliteration
dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyatiWord for Word Translation
dehinaḥ — of the embodied soul; asmin — in this; yathā — as; dehe — in the body; kaumāram — childhood; yauvanam — youth; jarā — old age; tathā — similarly; dehāntara — of another body; prāptiḥ — attainment; dhīraḥ — the wise person; tatra — thereupon; na muhyati — is not bewildered.
English Translation
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from childhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A wise person is not bewildered by such a change.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
Krishna uses a brilliant and undeniable piece of evidence from our own experience to explain a metaphysical truth. The logic is simple yet profound.
- The Unchanging Witness in a Changing Body: We all know “I” was once in a child’s body. That body is gone, replaced by a youth’s body, which is then replaced by an adult’s body. Throughout all these radical physical transformations, the “I”—the conscious self, the soul (`dehinah`)—remains the constant observer. This powerful statement establishes that our true identity is separate from the physical form it inhabits.
- Death as the Next Logical Step: Krishna then says `tathā`, meaning “similarly” or “in the same way.” He presents death not as a unique, terrifying event, but simply as the next change in the sequence. If the change from a child’s body to an adult’s body doesn’t extinguish the self, why should the change from an old body to a new one be any different? This is the core principle of reincarnation, described here as `dehāntara-prāptiḥ`, the attainment of a new body.
- Dhīras tatra na muhyati: “The wise person is not bewildered.” Krishna defines wisdom (`dhīraḥ`) not as intellectual knowledge, but as steady conviction in this truth. A wise person understands that the Atman is the permanent reality and the body is the temporary vehicle. Therefore, they are not confused or bewildered by the natural process of changing vehicles. This insight is foundational to overcoming the fear of death, which is at the root of Arjuna’s grief.
Conclusion
This verse is the logical proof for the previous verse’s declaration. By grounding the abstract concept of the eternal soul in the lived experience of aging, Krishna makes the idea of reincarnation accessible and rational. He teaches that death is not an end to existence but a continuation of it, just another change in a long series of changes. For the wise, this understanding removes the sting of mortality and allows them to act with courage and clarity, unbewildered by the inevitable transformations of the material world.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 – Verse 14 – Matra Sparsas Tu Kaunteya
