Verse 2.18

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।

अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥

2.18

Transliteration

antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ |

anāśino'prameyasya tasmādyudhyasva bhārata ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

These bodies of the embodied Self, Which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore fight, O Arjuna.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

having an end
these
bodies
of the eternal
are said
of the embodied self

of the indestructible
of the immeasurable
therefore
fight
O Bharata

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

The verse draws a contrast. Bodies have an end, while the embodied one is eternal, indestructible and beyond measure. From this Krishna draws a direct conclusion: therefore fight. The jump can surprise a modern reader. Krishna is not praising violence; he is removing one specific reason for Arjuna's refusal, the belief that killing in this battle destroys the true person. Later verses add other reasons, based on duty and on the right attitude to action, so this argument is one strand among several.