09. What Is Karma? Sanchit, Prarabdh, Kriyamaan & Dharma

Introduction: What Happens to the Atma After Death?

What happens when a person dies? Does everything come to an end with the physical body? Or does something eternal continue to exist beyond death?

These questions have occupied the human mind for generations.

The Srimad Bhagavad Gita provides profound spiritual teachings concerning the nature of life, death and the eternal Atma.

In Session 8 of our Bhagavad Gita series at Sambhasha | Divine Dialogues, we continue studying Chapter 2, Sankhya Yoga.

We begin by revising Shlokas 18–21 and then move forward with Shlokas 22–28, where Bhagwan Shri Krishna explains why the Atma is eternal, indestructible and beyond the limitations of the physical body.

One of the most beautiful teachings in this session is Shri Krishna’s analogy of changing clothes.

Just as a person discards worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied Self leaves an old body and takes up another.

Through these teachings, we begin understanding the difference between the temporary Sharir and the eternal Atma.

Understanding Sankhya Yoga: The Knowledge of the Eternal Self

Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita is known as Sankhya Yoga.

In this chapter, Shri Krishna begins guiding Arjuna from emotional confusion towards spiritual understanding.

Arjuna is overwhelmed by sorrow because he fears the death of his relatives, teachers and loved ones on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

His understanding is strongly influenced by his attachment to their physical existence.

Shri Krishna therefore introduces the distinction between the temporary body and the eternal Self.

The body undergoes birth, growth, ageing and death.

The Atma, however, is described as eternal and indestructible.

This knowledge forms an essential foundation for understanding Shri Krishna’s teachings concerning Dharma, Karma and spiritual liberation.

Revision: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Shlokas 18–21

Before exploring the new verses, we revise four important shlokas that establish the eternal nature of the Atma.

Bhagavad Gita 2.18: The Physical Body Is Temporary

Shri Krishna explains that the physical bodies of the eternal, indestructible and immeasurable embodied Self are subject to an end.

The Sharir is temporary, while the Atma is eternal.

Our physical bodies undergo continuous change throughout life.

We experience childhood, youth, adulthood and old age.

Eventually, the physical body comes to an end.

However, Shri Krishna teaches that the Atma is not destroyed with the body.

He also instructs Arjuna to perform his duty, connecting spiritual knowledge with the importance of right action.

Bhagavad Gita 2.19: The Atma Neither Kills Nor Is Killed

In Shloka 2.19, Shri Krishna explains that those who regard the Atma as the killer or as being killed do not understand its true nature.

The Atma neither kills nor is killed.

This verse distinguishes the eternal Self from the physical processes associated with the body.

It is a metaphysical teaching about the Atma, not a general justification for violence.

The Bhagavad Gita continues to emphasize the importance of Dharma and the proper understanding of one’s responsibilities.

Bhagavad Gita 2.20: The Atma Is Unborn and Eternal

Shloka 2.20 is one of the most important verses in Sankhya Yoga.

Shri Krishna explains that the Atma is never born and never dies.

It does not come into existence and then cease to exist.

It is unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient.

The Atma is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

This teaching challenges our ordinary identification with the physical body.

The body has a beginning and an end, but the Atma is not subject to physical birth and death.

Bhagavad Gita 2.21: Understanding the Indestructible Self

In Shloka 2.21, Shri Krishna asks how someone who knows the Atma to be eternal, unborn, indestructible and unchanging could regard it as killing or causing someone to be killed.

This verse continues the teaching of the previous two shlokas.

It emphasizes that knowledge of the Atma changes our understanding of life and death.

The Self is fundamentally different from the temporary physical body.

These four verses prepare us for the deeper explanations that follow.

Bhagavad Gita 2.22: The Beautiful Analogy of Changing Clothes

One of the most famous teachings of the Bhagavad Gita appears in Shloka 2.22.

Shri Krishna explains that just as a person discards worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied Self leaves old bodies and takes up new ones.

This analogy makes a profound spiritual concept easier to understand.

Consider what happens when our clothes become old or damaged.

We remove them and wear different clothes.

Our identity does not end simply because we have changed our clothing.

Similarly, the Bhagavad Gita teaches that the Atma is not destroyed when the physical body comes to an end.

The body is temporary, while the embodied Self continues.

This teaching introduces the process of changing bodies and provides a spiritual perspective on death and rebirth.

Why Does Shri Krishna Compare the Body to Clothes?

The analogy of changing clothes helps us distinguish between our true identity and the temporary physical body.

We do not ordinarily identify ourselves with the clothes we wear.

Clothing may change according to age, circumstances or personal preferences.

Yet the person wearing those clothes remains distinct from them.

In a similar way, Shri Krishna encourages Arjuna to understand that the Atma is distinct from the body.

The body changes throughout life and eventually reaches its end.

However, the Atma is not destroyed by this process.

This example helps us examine one of the most fundamental questions of spiritual life.

Are we merely our physical bodies, or is our true identity something eternal?

The Bhagavad Gita directs our attention towards the eternal Self.

Bhagavad Gita 2.23: Why Can the Atma Not Be Cut, Burned, Wetted or Dried?

In Shloka 2.23, Shri Krishna explains that the Atma cannot be cut by weapons, burned by fire, wetted by water or dried by wind.

This verse reveals that the Atma is beyond the destructive forces that affect physical objects.

A physical body can be injured by weapons.

Fire can burn material substances.

Water can affect physical objects.

Wind can dry things.

However, Shri Krishna explains that these forces cannot destroy the Atma.

This is because the eternal Self is not a material object subject to ordinary physical destruction.

The teaching helps Arjuna understand that the death of a physical body does not mean the destruction of the Atma.

Bhagavad Gita 2.24: The Atma Is Eternal, Stable and Unchanging

Shloka 2.24 continues explaining the indestructible nature of the Atma.

Shri Krishna describes the Atma as incapable of being cut, burned, wetted or dried.

He also describes it as eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and everlasting.

These descriptions emphasize the difference between the eternal Self and the changing physical body.

The body is affected by time, physical conditions and the elements of nature.

The Atma, however, is not subject to these changes.

This understanding becomes important for overcoming the mistaken identification of the Self with the physical body.

Bhagavad Gita 2.25: The Atma Is Unmanifest and Beyond Ordinary Perception

In Shloka 2.25, Shri Krishna describes the Atma as unmanifest, inconceivable and unchanging.

The Atma cannot be perceived in the same way as an ordinary physical object.

We can see the body with our eyes.

We can observe its growth, movement and physical characteristics.

However, the Atma is not something that can be identified through ordinary sensory observation.

This distinction is important in Vedantic philosophy.

The true Self cannot be reduced to the visible physical body or its changing characteristics.

Shri Krishna therefore advises Arjuna not to grieve after understanding the nature of the Atma.

Bhagavad Gita 2.26: Even If the Self Were Born and Died Repeatedly

In Shloka 2.26, Shri Krishna presents an alternative argument.

He explains that even if Arjuna were to consider the Self as being continually born and continually dying, there would still be no reason for the kind of grief overwhelming him.

This verse is part of Shri Krishna’s reasoning with Arjuna.

It does not replace the earlier teaching that the Atma is eternal.

Rather, Shri Krishna considers another way of understanding existence to show that Arjuna’s sorrow should not prevent him from recognizing his duty.

The verse prepares the way for the teaching that birth and death are inevitable for embodied beings.

Bhagavad Gita 2.27: Birth and Death Are Inevitable

Shloka 2.27 explains that death is certain for one who is born, and birth is certain for one who has died.

Shri Krishna therefore advises Arjuna not to grieve over what is unavoidable.

This teaching addresses the changing nature of embodied existence.

Every physical body that is born will eventually come to an end.

The Bhagavad Gita presents this process as an unavoidable part of worldly existence.

However, Shri Krishna’s larger teaching distinguishes this process from the eternal nature of the Atma.

Understanding the inevitability of physical change can help us reflect upon life and death with greater clarity.

It also reminds us of the importance of using our human life meaningfully.

Bhagavad Gita 2.28: The Unmanifest, Manifest and Unmanifest States of Beings

In Shloka 2.28, Shri Krishna explains that beings are unmanifest before birth, manifest during their intermediate existence and unmanifest again after death.

He then asks why one should grieve over this process.

This verse introduces another perspective on the changing nature of physical existence.

Before birth, the physical form is not manifest in the way we recognize it during life.

During life, the body becomes visible and participates in worldly activities.

After death, that particular physical manifestation comes to an end.

Shri Krishna encourages Arjuna to understand the temporary nature of manifest existence.

This teaching reinforces the distinction between changing bodily forms and the eternal Self.

What Happens After Death According to the Bhagavad Gita?

The teachings of Shlokas 22–28 provide a spiritual explanation of death and the continuity of the embodied Self.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, the physical body is temporary.

It undergoes birth, growth, ageing and death.

However, the Atma is eternal and cannot be destroyed.

Shloka 2.22 explains the transition from one body to another through the analogy of changing clothes.

Shlokas 2.23–2.25 explain that the Atma is beyond physical destruction and ordinary sensory perception.

Shlokas 2.26–2.28 address the inevitability of birth and death and the temporary manifestation of embodied beings.

Together, these teachings present death not as the destruction of the eternal Atma but as the end of a particular physical body.

This is a spiritual and philosophical teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, rather than a scientific description of what occurs after death.

Why Is the Atma Beyond the Five Elements?

The physical body belongs to the material world.

It is affected by physical forces, environmental conditions and the processes of nature.

Shri Krishna explains that the Atma cannot be destroyed by weapons, fire, water or wind.

These examples demonstrate that the Atma is not subject to the limitations of material objects.

The body may be injured or destroyed, but the eternal Self remains unaffected by these physical processes.

This distinction helps us understand why the Bhagavad Gita describes the Atma as indestructible.

The Atma is not another physical object hidden somewhere inside the body.

It is understood as the eternal Self, distinct from the changing material body.

How Can Knowledge of the Atma Reduce Fear of Death?

Fear of death is a deeply human experience.

We become attached to our physical bodies, relationships, possessions and familiar circumstances.

The possibility of losing these things can create anxiety and sorrow.

The Bhagavad Gita offers a spiritual perspective by explaining that the Atma is eternal.

Understanding this teaching may help a spiritual seeker reflect upon death differently.

Rather than identifying existence entirely with the temporary physical body, we begin examining the continuity of the Self beyond bodily change.

This does not mean that grief disappears automatically.

Nor does it mean that losing someone we love is emotionally insignificant.

The Bhagavad Gita encourages us to develop spiritual understanding while recognizing the reality of human experiences.

Through continued study and reflection, the knowledge of the Atma can become a source of inner steadiness.

The Difference Between Atma and Sharir

The distinction between Atma and Sharir is central to Sankhya Yoga.

Sharir refers to the physical body.

It is temporary, visible and subject to change.

The body experiences childhood, youth, old age, illness and death.

Atma refers to the eternal Self.

It is described as unborn, indestructible and everlasting.

The body can be affected by physical forces, but the Atma cannot be cut, burned, wetted or dried.

The body changes, but the Atma is not destroyed through those changes.

Understanding this distinction is an important foundation for spiritual knowledge.

It also prepares us for the deeper teachings concerning Dharma, Karma and liberation in the Bhagavad Gita.

How Do These Teachings Help Us Understand Arjuna’s Sorrow?

Arjuna’s grief arises because he sees his relatives, teachers and loved ones standing before him on the battlefield.

He fears their deaths and the suffering that will result from the war.

Shri Krishna responds by directing his attention towards the eternal nature of the Atma.

The physical body is temporary, but the Self is not destroyed by bodily death.

This knowledge challenges Arjuna’s understanding of life and existence.

However, Shri Krishna’s teaching does not suggest that Dharma or ethical responsibility becomes irrelevant.

Instead, knowledge of the Atma is part of the larger spiritual instruction that will help Arjuna understand his duty.

The teachings of Shlokas 22–28 therefore serve an important purpose.

They help Arjuna move beyond identification with the temporary physical body towards a deeper understanding of the eternal Self.

Applying the Teachings of the Eternal Atma in Everyday Life

The teachings of Sankhya Yoga encourage us to reflect upon the temporary nature of worldly circumstances.

Our bodies change with age.

Our possessions and relationships undergo change.

Our experiences of happiness and sorrow also change.

The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that these changing conditions should not be confused with our ultimate identity.

Understanding the eternal nature of the Atma can encourage us to approach life with greater awareness.

It may help us reflect upon attachment, fear, loss and the importance of spiritual growth.

It can also remind us that our responsibilities should be performed with wisdom rather than uncontrolled emotional reactions.

These teachings are not merely theoretical.

They encourage a deeper examination of how we understand ourselves and the world around us.

What Do We Learn in Session 8?

In this session, we begin by revising Chapter 2, Shlokas 18–21, where Shri Krishna explains that the physical body is temporary and the Atma is eternal.

We then study Shlokas 22–28.

These verses introduce the analogy of changing clothes, explain why the Atma cannot be destroyed by physical forces, and describe the inevitability of birth and death.

We also explore the distinction between the eternal Atma and the temporary Sharir.

The session encourages us to examine our understanding of life, death, attachment and existence.

Most importantly, it helps us understand why Shri Krishna directs Arjuna’s attention away from temporary bodily identification towards the eternal Self.

Continue Your Bhagavad Gita Journey with Sambhasha

At Sambhasha | Divine Dialogues, our Srimad Bhagavad Gita series explores the teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna through simple explanations, practical examples and meaningful spiritual discussions.

In Session 8, we revise Chapter 2, Shlokas 18–21, and study Shlokas 22–28.

We explore the eternal nature of the Atma, the temporary nature of the physical body and Shri Krishna’s teachings concerning death and the changing of bodies.

The session also explains why the Atma cannot be cut, burned, wetted or dried.

As we continue through Sankhya Yoga, we will explore the teachings of Dharma, Karma and spiritual wisdom in greater depth.