18 Beyond Birth and Death

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of
heat and cold, happiness and distress, and _ their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance
and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.
They arise from sense perception,O scion of Bharata,
and one must learn to tolerate them without being
disturbed.” (Bg. 2.14)

The gross material body is a result of the inter-
action of the modes of material nature, and it is
doomed to destruction.

antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata
“Only the material body of the indestructible,
immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject
to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of
Bharata.” (Bg. 2.18)

Sri Krsna therefore encourages us to transcend
the bodily conception of existence and attain to our
actual spiritual life.

gunan etan atitya trin
dehi deha-samudbhavan
janma-mrtyu-jarad-duhkhair
vimukto ’mrtam asnute
“When the embodied being is able to transcend
these three modes (goodness, passion and ignorance),
he can become free from birth, death, old age and
their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.”
(Bg. 14.20)
