Only the soul is eternally worthy of concern; those identifying with flesh and bone speak learned words yet remain fundamentally foolish.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 2.11 — August 17, 1973, London 730817BG-LONDON [36:58 Minutes] Bg-02.11_730817BG-LONDON Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] śrī bhagavān uvāca aśocān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitaḥ [Bg. 2.11] [break] [leads chanting of synonyms] śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; aśocyān—that which is not worthy of lamentation; anvaśocaḥ—you are lamenting; tvam—you; prajñā-vādāḥ—learned talks; ca—also; bhāṣase—speaking; gata—lost; asūn—life; agata—not past; asūn—life; ca—also; na—never; anuśocanti—lament; paṇḍitāḥ—the learned.
[02:35] 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: Hmm. So, what is that thing which is living and dead? The body.
The body is living and dead. So Kṛṣṇa indirectly, or directly, chastised Arjuna that "The behavior that you are showing, it is not like a learned man." Nānuśocanti paṇḍitaḥ. That means indirectly He said that "You do not know things are there. Not learned.
You are fool." In spite of Arjuna speaking so many things in support of his being nonviolent and not to kill his kinsmen, Kṛṣṇa chastised him, that "You are not learned. You are fool." So this is the position. Those who are under the bodily concept of life, they can speak so many learned things, but after all, they are fool. yasyātma-buddhi-kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeśv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13] In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, those who are under the bodily concept of life, they are described as follows: yasya ātma-buddhiḥ. Ātma means self. Ātma-buddhiḥ, "in this body." What is this body? Kuṇape tri-dhātuke: it is a bag of three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu, mucus, bile and air.
So... Or ordinarily you can understand, this is a combination; this material body is combination of flesh, bone, blood, mucus, stool, urine, and so many other things. That..., we are not self; but the foolish persons, they are taking this lump of matter, bones and flesh, accepting that "I am this body." No learned man will take like that. The whole world is misled under this conception.
They are accepting this lump of matter—blood and flesh and bones—"I am. This is I am." This is animal mentality. Animal thinks like that, no learned man. Learned man, one who knows, he will say ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul.
I am servant of God." This is learned speaking. "I am not this body." So Kṛṣṇa is chastising Arjuna because he has accepted..., he's becoming His disciple, so the spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple for right direction like the teacher, like the father. Similarly, although Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends, but Arjuna has accepted Him as spiritual master. There should not be any compromising words as it is done between friend and friend.