“Why, then, grieve — tatra ka paridevana — asks Shri Krishna. This is the great mystery of God. As a magician creates the illusion of a tree and destroys it, so God sports in endless ways and does not let us know the beginning and the end of his play. Why grieve over it?”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: From 'The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi'; his commentary on Krishna's 'tatra ka paridevana' (why grieve) and the mystery of God's play.
About this quote
Grief loosens its grip a little when you accept how small a slice of the larger pattern you can actually see. Things appear and vanish in ways no one fully controls or understands; holding them as passing rather than permanent doesn't erase a loss, but it keeps the loss from swallowing you whole.
When to use it
- Someone facing a hard change learns to hold it lightly, trusting that seasons keep turning.
- A person treats a sudden job loss as one turn in a much longer, still-unfinished story.
- A grieving family slowly finds peace by accepting the part they will never be able to explain.