2-18

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनः अप्रमेयस्य तस्मात् युध्यस्व भारत ॥ १८ ॥

antavanta ime dehA nityasyoktAH zarIriNaH |
anAzinaH aprameyasya tasmAt yudhyasva bhArata || 18 ||

इमे देहाः [ime dehAH] These bodies अन्तवन्तः उक्तः [antavantaH uktaH] are said to have an ending. शरीरिणः [zarIriNaH] They belong to their Selves, नित्यस्य अनाशिनः [nityasya anAzinaH] which are ever-lasting, अप्रमेयस्य [aprameyasya] which cannot be grasped by the sense organs.

All our bodies have an end. Destruction is in their nature.

Take a material thing like a pot, for example. A pot is composed of various different elements. Due to this, it wears out and is eventually seen to perish.

The body is a collection of the five elements - air, energy, earth, water and space. The body exists to let the everlasting Self experience the outcomes of activities. These experiences happen according to the specifications listed in the scriptures, such as ‘virtue results from virtuous deeds’ ( ब्रिहदारण्यक उपनिशद् [brihadAraNyaka upanizad] , 4-4-5 ). The body perishes after the effects of the activities are spent.

The Self is never destroyed. Since the Self is not gross, it cannot be grasped by our sense organs. The Self is not available to experience, as our sense organs are only capable of sensing gross things. The Self is in the form of subtle knowledge.

The Self brings awareness – the power to experience and know.

In 13-1, it is said ‘Whoever knows this, is said to know the body as the field of action’. Moreover, the Self is not made up of other things. It is experienced everywhere in the body as ‘I know’. It’s experienced as the knowledge of the body itself and other things- as a single, subtle form.

The subtle Self is not like the body and other material things. Material things differ in form at different points in space.

Thus, the Self is ever-lasting by virtue of having a single form, not being subject to change, being the knower and being pervasive.

In contrast, the body is a collection of other elements and is subject to growth and deformation. It is created only for the Self to experience the outcome of activity. It takes on multiple forms. Due to these reasons, it is subject to destruction. The body is pervaded by the Self.

The body is subject to destruction by its very nature. The Self is by nature everlasting. Hence, neither is to be grieved over. Knowing this, be with courage; bear the inevitable effects of weapons on your body and on others. Perform the act of war without expectations regarding the outcome of your actions, with the intent of gaining freedom from birth and death ( moksha ).