Srimad Bhagavad Gita Shloka 2.22

Shloka 2.22

“As a man discards worn-out clothes and takes new ones, so the soul discards old bodies and enters new ones.”
Key Teaching: The soul’s transmigration is like changing clothes, emphasizing its continuity.
Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Spirituality.
Description:
Krishna compares the soul’s transmigration to a person discarding worn-out clothes for new ones, illustrating that the soul leaves old bodies for new ones. This verse, building on 2.13–21, counters Arjuna’s grief over killing kin (1.28–46) by emphasizing the soul’s continuity. The themes of guidance, as Krishna teaches, dharma, as he supports Arjuna’s duty, and spirituality, as he focuses on the soul’s nature, are central.

In the Mahabharata, Arjuna’s attachment to kin’s bodies (1.26–27) fuels his despair. Krishna’s analogy contrasts with Duryodhana’s material focus (1.3–11), urging Arjuna to see death as a transition, not destruction, aligning with his Kshatriya duty. This perspective reduces the fear of killing.

Philosophically, this verse addresses the human fear of death, a theme Krishna refines with teachings on detachment (2.47). Arjuna’s grief complicates his dharma, necessitating Krishna’s guidance on the soul’s transmigration. The theme of spirituality underscores the soul’s continuity beyond physical forms.

Sanjaya’s narration frames Krishna’s analogy objectively, highlighting its clarity. This verse serves as a metaphor for life’s transitions, where understanding the soul’s permanence resolves sorrow. Krishna’s analogy prepares readers for performing duty with detachment, focusing on the eternal self.