The soul is eternal; lamentation comes from false identification with the temporary body.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 2.11 — August 1, 1972, Glasgow 720801BG-GLASGOW [96:53 Minutes] Bg-02.11_720801BG-GLASGOW [kīrtana] [10:08]
Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances]
Prabhupāda: Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] śrī-bhagavān uvāca aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ [Bg. 2.11] Prabhupāda: Once again. [Pradyumna chants verse again] Translation. [12:58] Pradyumna: Translation: "The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief.
Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead." Prabhupāda: "The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living or the dead." This Kṛṣṇa philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to teach people to understand what is the constitutional position of the living entity. Here it is said that one who is learned, he does not lament either for the living or for the dead body. [aside:] They should be removed from the front range. They should be removed; they should go backwards.
[pause] The present civilization is based on the bodily concept of life: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am black," "I am white," and so on. The whole civilization is going on on this bodily concept of life. Although there is advancement of learning, many universities and educational institution, but nowhere this subject matter is discussed or taught, "What I am." Rather, they're still more misled by giving them education that "You are born in this land. You must feel for your nation, you must act for your nation," or the so-called nationality is taught.
But nobody is taught actually what he is. The same position was for Arjuna, Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. There was a fight. That is the history of greater India, Mahābhārata. It is called Mahābhārata.
This Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means greater India or greater planet. So in that history of greater India there is a..., there was a fight between two cousin-brothers, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. The Pāṇḍavas and Kurus, they belonged to the same family, known as Kuru dynasty, and at that time, five thousand years ago, the Kuru dynasty was ruling all over the world. Now, what we know as Bhārata-varṣa is a fraction only.