जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥
jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca |tasmād aparihārye 'rthe na tvaṃ śocitum arhasi ||
- जातस्य · jātasya
- of what is born
- हि · hi
- indeed, for
- ध्रुवः · dhruvaḥ
- certain
- मृत्युः · mṛtyuḥ
- death
- ध्रुवम् · dhruvam
- certain
- जन्म · janma
- birth
- मृतस्य · mṛtasya
- of what is dead
- च · ca
- and
- तस्मात् · tasmāt
- therefore
- अपरिहार्ये · aparihārye
- in the inevitable, unavoidable
- अर्थे · arthe
- in the matter
- न · na
- not
- त्वम् · tvam
- you
- शोचितुम् · śocitum
- to grieve
- अर्हसि · arhasi
- should
“For death is certain for the born, and birth is certain for the dead. Therefore you should not grieve over the inevitable.”
— Original plain-language translation
The mirror-sentence: certainty runs both directions. Grief protests what cannot be otherwise; wisdom consents to it. Note this concedes nothing about the soul — it is pure logic, available to believer and sceptic alike.
— Reader's notes (original)