Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 2 · Sankhya Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 2.22 वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
श्लोक 2.22
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा-
न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥
vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro'parāṇi |
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇā-
nyanyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
जैसे मनुष्य पुराने कपड़े उतारकर नए कपड़े पहन लेता है, वैसे ही आत्मा पुराने शरीरों को छोड़कर नए शरीरों को प्राप्त करती है।
Meaning in English
Just as a person discards worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so the embodied soul discards worn-out bodies and enters new ones.
Bhagavad Gita 2.22 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| वासांसि | vāsāṃsi | garments |
| जीर्णानि | jīrṇāni | worn out |
| यथा | yathā | just as |
| विहाय | vihāya | casting off |
| नवानि | navāni | new |
| गृह्णाति | gṛhṇāti | takes |
| नरः | naraḥ | a person |
| अपराणि | aparāṇi | others |
| तथा | tathā | so |
| शरीराणि | śarīrāṇi | bodies |
| जीर्णानि | jīrṇāni | worn out |
| अन्यानि | anyāni | other |
| संयाति | saṃyāti | enters |
| देही | dehī | the embodied Self |
Explanation
Just as a person casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters new ones. With this homely image, Krishna makes the idea of rebirth easy to grasp.
We do not mourn an old shirt; we simply change it. The verse invites us to see death in the same light — as the Self moving on, not as the end of the person. It is one of the best-known images in the whole Gita.
भावार्थ
जैसे मनुष्य पुराने वस्त्र त्यागकर नए वस्त्र धारण करता है, वैसे ही देही (आत्मा) पुराने शरीरों को छोड़कर नए शरीरों में प्रवेश करती है।
Living it today
Care for your body like a garment you value — but remember you are the one wearing it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 2.22?
Just as a person casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters new ones. With this homely image, Krishna makes the idea of rebirth easy to grasp.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 2.22?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 2 (Sankhya Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 2.22 in daily life?
Care for your body like a garment you value — but remember you are the one wearing it.
Reflected on verse 2.22?
Light a diya, add a note, or share this verse.