Bhagavad Gita

In English by Swami Adidevananda

O Arjuna, beings have an unknown beginning, a known middle, and an unknown end. What is there to grieve about in all this?

In English by Swami Sivananda

Beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their middle state, O Arjuna, and unmanifest again in their end. What is there to grieve about?

In Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdas

।।2.28।। हे भारत ! सभी प्राणी जन्मसे पहले अप्रकट थे और मरनेके बाद अप्रकट हो जायँगे, केवल बीचमें ही प्रकट दीखते हैं। अतः इसमें शोक करनेकी बात ही क्या है?  

In English by Swami Sivananda

2.28 अव्यक्तादीनि unmanifested in the beginning, भूतानि beings, व्यक्तमध्यानि manifested in their middle state, भारत O Bharata, अव्यक्तनिधनानि unmanifested again in the end, एव also, तत्र there, का what, परिदेवना grief.Commentary The physical body is a combination of the five elements. It is seen by the physical eyes only after the five elements have entered into such combination. After death, the body disintegrates and the five elements go back to their source it cannot be seen. Therefore, the body can be seen only in the middle state. The relationship as son, friend, teacher, father, mother, wife, brother and sister is formed through the body on account of attachment and Moha (delusion). Just as planks unite and separate in a river, just as pilgrims unite and separate in a public inn, so also fathers, mothers, sons and brothers unite and separate in this world. This world is a very big public inn. People unite and separate.There is no pot in the beginning and in the end. Even if you see the pot in the middle, you should think and feel that it is illusory and does not really exist. So also there is no body in the beginning and in the end. That which does not exist in the beginning and in the end must be illusory in the middle also. You must think and feel that the body does not really exist in the middle as well.He who thus understands the nature of the body and all human relationships based on it, will not grieve.

In Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdas

 2.28।। व्याख्या-- 'अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि'-- देखने, सुनने और समझनेमें आनेवाले जितने भी प्राणी (शरीर आदि) हैं, वे सब-के-सब जन्मसे पहले अप्रकट थे अर्थात् दीखते नहीं थे।  'अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव'-- ये सभी प्राणी मरनेके बाद अप्रकट हो जायँगे अर्थात् इनका नाश होनेपर ये सभी 'नहीं' में चले जायँगे, दीखेंगे नहीं।  'व्यक्तमध्यानि'-- ये सभी प्राणी बीचमें अर्थात् जन्मके बाद और मृत्युके पहले प्रकट दिखायी देते हैं। जैसे सोनेसे पहले भी स्वप्न नहीं था और जगनेपर भी स्वप्न नहीं रहा, ऐसे ही इन प्राणियोंके शरीरोंका पहले भी अभाव था और पीछे भी अभाव रहेगा। परन्तु बीचमें भावरूपसे दीखते हुए भी वास्तवमें इनका प्रतिक्षण अभाव हो रहा है।  'तत्र का परिदेवना'-- जो आदि और अन्तमें नहीं होता, वह बीचमें भी नहीं होता है--यह सिद्धान्त है  (टिप्पणी प0 68) । सभी प्राणियोंके शरीर पहले नहीं थे और पीछे नहीं रहेंगे; अतः वास्तवमें वे बीचमें भी नहीं हैं। परन्तु यह शरीरी पहले भी था और पीछे भी रहेगा; अतः वह बीच में भी रहेगा ही। निष्कर्ष यह निकला कि शरीरोंका सदा अभाव है और शरीरीका कभी भी अभाव नहीं है। इसलिये इन दोनोंके लिये शोक नहीं हो सकता।