Bhagavad Gita BG 2.20
Chapter 2, Verse 20 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २० ॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
Meaning
The soul is never born and never dies; nor, having once come to be, does it ever cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.
Understanding
One of the most celebrated verses of the Gita. Six attributes of the soul are stated: (1) na jāyate — never born; (2) na mriyate — never dies; (3) na bhūtvā bhavitā — having once existed, will not cease to exist again; (4) aja — unborn; (5) nitya — eternal; (6) śāśvata — ever-existing; (7) purāṇa — primeval/ancient. The final line is the direct answer to Arjuna: 'na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre' — it is not slain when the body is slain.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| न जायते | na jāyate | is never born |
| न म्रियते | na mriyate | never dies |
| अजः | ajaḥ | unborn / birthless |
| नित्यः | nityaḥ | eternal / permanent |
| शाश्वतः | śāśvataḥ | ever-existing / everlasting |
| पुराणः | purāṇaḥ | primeval / ancient / the most ancient |
| न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे | na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre | is not slain when the body is slain |
| वा | vā | or / nor (disjunctive particle) |
| कदाचित् | kadācit | at any time / ever |
| न अयम् | nāyam | this (soul) does not |
| भूत्वा | bhūtvā | having been / having come into being |
| भविता | bhavitā | will come into being / will be born |
| न भूयः | na bhūyaḥ | nor again / no more |