Bhagavad Gita 2.13
Sankhya Yoga · English Translation
Sanskrit
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा | तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ||२-१३||
Transliteration
dehino.asminyathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā . tathā dehāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na muhyati ||2-13||
Just as in this body the embodied (soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does it pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve thereat.
Word by Word
देहिनः of the embodied (soul), अस्मिन् in this, यथा as, देहे in body, कौमारम् childhood, यौवनम् youth, जरा old age, तथा so also, देहान्तरप्राप्तिः the attaining of another body, धीरः the firm, तत्र thereat, न not, मुह्यति grieves
Classical Commentary
-- Just as there is no interruption in the passing of childhood into youth and youth into old age in this body, so also there is no interruption by death in the continuity of the ego. The Self is not dead at the termination of the stage, viz., childhood. It is certainly not born again at the beginning of the second stage, viz., youth. Just as the Self passes unchanged from childhood to youth and from yourth to old age, so also the Self passes unchanged from one body into,another. Therefore, the wise man is not at all distressed about it.