Bhagavad Gita BG 8.20
Chapter 8, Verse 20 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्यो ऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः । यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥
paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah yah sa sarveshu bhuteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati
Meaning
But beyond that (avyakta), there is another Being — Unmanifest, eternal — which does not perish even when all beings perish.
Understanding
The crucial distinction: paras tasmat (beyond that avyakta) — there is another (anya) bhava (Being). This is also avyakta (unmanifest) but sanatana (eternal — unlike Brahma's avyakta which is a cycle-phase). Yah sarveshu bhuteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati — which does not perish (na vinashyati) even when all beings perish (nashyatsu). This is the Imperishable beyond the perishable cycles of Brahma. This is Aksharabrahma — the Imperishable Absolute of Chapter 8.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| परस्तस्मात् | paras tasmat | beyond that, higher than that |
| सनातनः | sanatanah | eternal, beginningless, everlasting |
| विनश्यति | vinashyati | perishes, is destroyed |
| नश्यत्सु | nashyatsu | when perishing, while all are being destroyed |
| परः | paraḥ | beyond, superior |
| तस्मात् | tasmāt | from that |
| तु | tu | but |
| भावः | bhāvaḥ | existence, entity |
| अन्यः | anyaḥ | another, different |
| अव्यक्तः | avyaktaḥ | unmanifest |
| अव्यक्तात् | avyaktāt | beyond the unmanifest |
| सनातनः | sanātanaḥ | eternal |
| यः | yaḥ | which, who |
| सः | saḥ | that |
| सर्वेषु | sarveṣu | in all |
| भूतेषु | bhūteṣu | in beings |
| नश्यत्सु | naśyatsu | when they perish |
| न | na | not |
| विनश्यति | vinaśyati | is destroyed |