“Weapons pierce and cut not the Real Man, nor doth the fire burn him; the water affecteth him not, nor doth the wind dry him nor blow him away. For he is impregnable and impervious to these things of the world of change—he is eternal, permanent, unchangeable, unalterable, Real.

“In his Essence he is immutable, unthinkable, inconceivable, unknowable, therefore, such being the case, why shouldst thou, so knowing it to be, allow thyself to be made a weakling by childish grief?

“Or if, perchance, thou believest not these things, and livest in the illusion of belief in birth and death as realities—even so, as I thee, why shouldst thou lament and grieve thyself? For, if this last be true, then as certain as it is that all men have been born, so is it certain that all men must needs die—therefore why grieve and suffer for the inevitable and unavoidable?

“To those who lack the Inner Wisdom, there is no knowledge of whence we came, or whither we go—such know only what is at the moment. Why should even such distract themselves regarding this or that—why should they lament?

“SOME wonder greatly regarding the soul, while others hear of and speak of it with incredulity and lack of comprehension. And no one, by mortal mind, really intelligently understandeth the mystery, nor knoweth it in its true and essential nature, in spite of all that has been said, taught and thought, concerning it.

“This Real Man that inhabiteth the body, O Arjuna, is invulnerable to harm, hurt, or death—therefore, why shouldst thou trouble thyself further about the matter? Instead, it would be far more worthy of thee, thou Prince of the Warrior Caste, to face thy duty in the matter, manfully and resolutely. The duty of a soldier is to fight—and fight well. And the reward of duty well done is the opening of the heaven of thy kind, which is possible only to warriors who are so fortunate as to be able to participate in a glorious, just and righteous battle, coming to them unsought.

“And, shouldest thou decline the battle, and cast away thy righteous duty with thy weapons, surely then wouldst thou commit a grave crime against thine honor, thy duty and thy people.