2.28 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 2, Verse 28

In Bhagavad Gita 2.28, Krishna presents a profound perspective on the nature of existence, birth, and death. He tells Arjuna that all living beings are unmanifest before birth, become manifest for a period during their life, and return to an unmanifest state at death. This cycle is universal and inescapable; it encompasses every living entity, regardless of their background or nature. Through this understanding, Krishna seeks to dispel Arjuna’s despair regarding the inevitable deaths that will occur on the battlefield.

This verse outlines an observable pattern in both the material and philosophical realms. Before any specific body appears in the world, its constituent matter exists in an unmanifested, undifferentiated state, much like clay before it is shaped into a pot. Life, or manifestation, is simply a temporary arrangement or assembly of these elements. When death occurs, the body disintegrates and its elements once again merge with the environment, returning to the unmanifest state from whence they came. Throughout, nothing is ultimately destroyed—matter only changes its form.

Krishna thus provides two layers of reasoning to address Arjuna’s grief. On one hand, if one believes in the eternal soul, lamentation for the death of the body is unnecessary because the soul continues to exist independently of the physical form. On the other hand, even if one denies the existence of the soul and accepts only the cycle of material manifestation and dissolution, there is still no cause for sorrow, since what is manifest will always return to its unmanifest state by the law of nature. The essence, whether material or spiritual, is never lost, only transformed or unmanifested again.

By using this dual argument, Krishna skillfully guides Arjuna to a state of equanimity. Instead of becoming paralyzed by the fear of loss, Arjuna is encouraged to see life and death as natural stages in an ongoing process. Neither birth nor death brings about true creation or destruction; they are mere transitions, like the appearance and disappearance of waves on the ocean’s surface. The substance always remains, merely shifting its state.

This analogy is vividly illustrated by the example of a potter and his clay. Before the pot exists, its material—the clay—is already present. The pot exists for a time, serving its purpose, and when it’s broken, the clay persists. No real loss has occurred; only the temporary form has changed. In the same way, the living body is assembled from the elements of nature, exists for a span, and at death, its elements return to their source. Whether or not the soul is acknowledged, nothing permanent is lost in this process.

Krishna’s message is particularly aimed at dispelling undue attachment and sorrow rooted in a limited understanding of existence. By recognizing that what is manifest today was once unmanifest and will be so again, Arjuna is prompted to move beyond grief for inevitable transitions. Lamenting over what is bound to change is as futile as grieving for the setting of the sun, which will rise again in due time. The cycles of life are natural and impartial, sparing no one.

This understanding, while subtle, is intended to empower Arjuna—and by extension, everyone—to perform their duties without being incapacitated by the fear of death or loss. If the temporal nature of forms is accepted, action can be guided by responsibility and dharma, not by anxiety or despair. Krishna’s teaching here is not an attempt to diminish the value of life, but to deepen Arjuna’s perception of the larger reality in which life and death are but phases of an eternal process.

The message in this verse encourages a state of composure and philosophical detachment. By shifting focus from the fleeting to the eternal, Krishna invites us to transcend sorrow and embrace a wiser, more resilient outlook on the inevitable changes that life brings. In the end, this wisdom becomes the foundation for meaningful action, grounded in the acceptance of nature's immutable law of transitions.