Bhagavad Gita · Sankhya YogaChapter 2, Shloka 27 (2.27)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि
॥ 2.27 ॥
jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyurdhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmādaparihārye'rthe na tvaṃ śocitumarhasi
Translation
"For whatever is born, death is certain, and for whatever dies, birth is certain. Therefore you should not grieve over what is unavoidable."
Interpretation
Grief over the inevitable is futile. Shankaracharya: the death of one who has been born is avyabhicārī (certain), and the birth of one who has died is certain — so this matter of birth and death is unavoidable; grief over what is unavoidable is not fitting.
"Dhruvaṃ janma mṛtasya ca" — the birth of the one who has died. The second half of the shloka again repeats the belief in rebirth. Krishna adds this even in the "suppose" context of 2.26 — as if to say: whatever your belief, the cycle goes on.
Is this fatalism? No. The shloka speaks of accepting death, not of abandoning duty. On the contrary — Krishna uses it to lead Arjuna towards his duty: do not abandon your duty in grief over what is inevitable.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.