2.18 These bodies of the embodied Self, Which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore fight, O Arjuna.

2.18 Antavantah etc. The bodies, at the time of their attaining the unobservable stage, meet their apparent destruction. This would be impossible if they do not suffer the peculiar destruction, that it to say they undergo changes every moment. For, it has been said- 'By observing the dilapidated condition of beings at their last moment, the loss of newness is very moment is inferred' The same has been said by the Sage (Vyasa) also as- 'In every being, in every moment, there is mutual difference between its tiny parts that have different purposes. But on account of its subtlity, it is not cleary comprehended (MB, Santi., Moksa. Ch. 308, verse 121). [In theabove passage] having different purposes amounts to say 'because they perform different acts having their own respective special purposes.; Now, the bodies have thier end and are ever changing. On the other hand, the Self is destructionless, because It is incomprehensible. Changing nature belongs only to the insentient thing which is comprehensible, but not to what is non-insentient and is exclusively consciousness in nature. Because, it is not possible [for one] to gain an altogether different nature. Thus, the bodies meet permanently their end and hence they cannot be lamented for; the Self ever remains without destruction (or without changing) and hence need not be lamented for. Thus a single krtya-suffix has been employed on both the senses simultaneously by the sage in the expression asocyan.

**2.18.** These bodies of the indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal embodied Soul are said to be perishable. Therefore, O Arjuna, engage in battle. **Commentary:** **'Anāśinaḥ'** – That which does not undergo even the slightest change at any time, due to any cause, which is not subject to decay or non-existence, is called 'Anāśī', meaning indestructible. **'Aprameyasya'** – That which is not an object of 'Pramā' (valid means of knowledge), i.e., which is not an object of the mind and senses, is called 'Aprameya' (immeasurable, beyond empirical perception). The mind and senses are not valid means of knowledge for It; only the scriptures and saintly great souls are the authority. Scriptures and saintly great souls are the authority only for those who have faith. One accepts the words of that scripture and those saints in whom one has faith. Therefore, this Truth is solely an object of faith, not an object of empirical proof. Scriptures and saints do not compel anyone to have faith in them. In having or not having faith, a person is free. If he has faith in the words of the scriptures and saints, then this Truth is an object of his faith; and if he does not have faith, then this Truth is not an object of his faith. **'Nityasya'** – This (embodied Soul) is eternal, ever-existing. There is no time when It does not exist; meaning, It exists always, in all times. **'Antavanta ime dehāḥ uktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ'** – All the bodies in the entire world belonging to this indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal embodied Soul are said to be perishable. The implication of calling them perishable is that they are perishing every moment. In them, there is nothing but destruction; only destruction upon destruction. In the above words, the singular is used for the 'embodied Soul' and the plural for 'bodies'. One reason for this is that each living being has three bodies: gross, subtle, and causal. Another reason is that one and the same embodied Soul pervades all the bodies in the entire universe. Later, in the twenty-fourth verse, It will also be described as 'sarvagataḥ' (all-pervading). This embodied Soul is indestructible, and all the bodies said to belong to It are perishable. Just as no one can destroy the indestructible, similarly, no one can make the perishable indestructible. The perishable nature of the perishable will remain eternal; meaning, its destruction is certain. **Special Point:** Here, the statement 'antavanta ime dehāḥ' means that all these bodies that are seen are entirely perishable. But whose bodies are these? 'Nityasya', 'Anāśinaḥ' – These bodies belong to the Eternal, the Indestructible. The implication is that the Eternal Principle, which is never destroyed, has considered these as its own. Considering them as its own means: It has placed Itself in the body and has placed the body within Itself. By placing Itself in the body, 'ahaṁtā' (the sense of 'I') arises; and by placing the body within Itself, 'mamatā' (the sense of 'mine') arises. Wherever It places Itself, the sense of 'I' arises there; for example: placing Itself in wealth, then 'I am wealthy'; placing Itself in a kingdom, then 'I am a king'; placing Itself in learning, then 'I am learned'; placing Itself in intellect, then 'I am intelligent'; placing Itself in perfections, then 'I am perfected'; placing Itself in the body, then 'I am the body'; and so on. Wherever It places things within Itself, the sense of 'mine' arises there; for example: placing the family within Itself, then 'the family is mine'; placing wealth within Itself, then 'wealth is mine'; placing intellect within Itself, then 'intellect is mine'; placing the body within Itself, then 'the body is mine'; and so on. All modifications arise solely from having the sense of 'I' and 'mine' with inert objects. The implication is that all modifications arise only from not giving importance to this discrimination that the body and the Self are separate. But those who respect and give importance to this discrimination are the wise. Such wise people never grieve; because they have the correct realization that the Real is Real only and the unreal is unreal only. **'Tasmāt yudhyasva'** – The Lord commands Arjuna: Having correctly understood the Real and the unreal, you engage in battle, meaning, perform your ordained duty. The implication is that the body is perishable and the embodied Soul is indestructible. From the perspective of these two—body and embodied Soul—grief cannot even arise. Therefore, abandoning grief, engage in battle. **Special Point:** Here, in these two verses (seventeenth and eighteenth), the principle of the Real (Sat) has been specifically analyzed. The reason is that in this entire section, the Lord's aim is to impart the knowledge of the Real alone. Upon gaining the knowledge of the Real, the removal of the unreal happens automatically. Then, not even the slightest doubt of any kind remains. Thus, having experienced the Real and becoming free from doubt, one should perform one's duty. This analysis proves that in the Yoga of Knowledge (Sāṅkhya Yoga) and the Yoga of Action (Karma Yoga), there is no necessity for any particular caste or stage of life. For one's own welfare, whether one practices the Yoga of Knowledge or the Yoga of Action, a person has complete freedom. However, for practical worldly duties, the scriptural injunctions according to caste and stage of life are absolutely necessary. That is why here, while analyzing the Real and the unreal according to the Yoga of Knowledge, the Lord gives the command to fight, i.e., to perform duty-bound action. Later, in the thirteenth chapter, where the means to knowledge are described, it is also stated: 'Non-attachment, absence of clinging to son, wife, home, etc.' (13.9), thereby prohibiting attachment to son, wife, home, etc. If only renunciates were eligible for Sāṅkhya Yoga, then there would be no need to instruct about being free from attachment to son, wife, etc., because renunciates do not have sons, wives, etc., to begin with. In this way, upon reflecting on the Gītā, both Sāṅkhya Yoga and Karma Yoga are proven to be independent means for attaining the Supreme Self. They are not dependent in the slightest on any caste or stage of life. **Connection:** Up to the previous verse, the state of those who know the embodied Soul to be indestructible was described. Now, to firmly establish that same point by the method of agreement and difference, the state of those who do not know the embodied Soul to be indestructible is described in the following verse.