The soul changes bodies as one changes garments.

This is one of the Gita's most beautiful and accessible metaphors. The soul's relationship to the body is like a person's relationship to their clothing — the person (soul) remains the same while the outer covering changes.

We change clothes when they wear out, when they no longer serve us, or when circumstances require different attire. We do not mourn the old shirt beyond what is appropriate. The person who wore it continues. This is how the soul relates to bodies.

This metaphor has several important implications. First, it normalizes death: the physical body's end is not the soul's end — it is simply a wardrobe change on a much grander scale. Second, it suggests that our attachment to any particular body — including our current one — should be calibrated: we care for the body as we care for a good coat, but we are not the coat.

For those grieving the loss of a loved one, this verse offers a specific comfort: the person you loved — their consciousness, their soul, their essential being — continues. The body you held and knew has been changed, but the deeper person has not been annihilated.

Krishna's teaching here is not to minimize grief — it is to situate grief within a larger understanding of what has actually happened.