In this celebrated verse of the Bhagavad Gita’s second chapter, Lord Krishna provides the most famous and accessible analogy for reincarnation. After establishing the soul’s eternal, indestructible nature, he now demystifies the process of death completely. The Vasamsi Jirnani Yatha Vihaya verse removes the fear and finality associated with death by comparing it to an everyday, common-sense action that everyone can understand: changing one’s clothes.
Sanskrit Verse
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥ २२ ॥Transliteration
vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehīWord for Word Translation
vāsāṁsi — garments; jīrṇāni — old and worn out; yathā — as; vihāya — giving up; navāni — new; gṛhṇāti — accepts; naraḥ — a person; aparāṇi — others; tathā — similarly; śarīrāṇi — bodies; vihāya — giving up; jīrṇāni — old and useless; anyāni — different; saṁyāti — accepts; navāni — new; dehī — the embodied soul.
English Translation
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This analogy is powerful because it’s simple, practical, and it elegantly explains several core tenets of the soul’s journey.
- Death is a Change, Not an End: By comparing death to changing clothes, Krishna reframes it from a terrifying annihilation to a mundane, necessary transition. We do not die when we change our clothes; our identity remains. Similarly, the `dehī` (the embodied soul) remains unchanged when the body is discarded. This concept is the essence of reincarnation.
- The Soul is the True Person: The verse identifies the `naraḥ` (the person) who changes clothes with the `dehī` (the soul) who changes bodies. This reinforces that the soul is the real, conscious entity making the choice. The body is an external object, a possession, a garment that is used and then discarded when it becomes `jīrṇāni`—old and worn out.
- Detachment from the Body: We do not grieve for a set of old, torn clothes. We understand they have served their purpose. This analogy encourages a similar healthy detachment from the material body. While the body should be cared for and respected as a tool, its inevitable decay is not a cause for ultimate despair, as it does not affect the true self, the Atman. This perspective is a cornerstone of various schools of Indian philosophy.
Conclusion
The genius of this verse lies in its ability to make a profound metaphysical truth feel completely intuitive. By connecting the soul’s transmigration to the simple act of changing clothes, Lord Krishna provides Arjuna with a powerful tool to overcome his grief. The fear of death is replaced with the understanding of a natural, cyclical process. The bodies of Bhishma and Drona are like old garments that they are destined to cast off, but the souls within them—the actual persons—will continue their journey, accepting new forms as needed.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 – Verse 23 – Nainam Chindanti Sastrani
