Chapter 2 · Verse 20 · Sankhya Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 2.20
Sanskrit
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः। अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
Transliteration
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
In plain words
This verse is about what you really are. Not your body, not your age, not your health. In this teaching, something in you was never born, and it does not die.
It doesn't ask you to stop feeling sad. Arjuna is grieving when Krishna says this. His grief is what starts the whole conversation.
If you're afraid of getting older, or of losing someone, read this verse slowly. Let it sit next to your fear, not in place of it. And if the sadness is heavy, talk to someone you trust. A verse can keep you company. It doesn't replace the people who can help.
If you are thinking about ending your life, please reach out right now, to someone you trust or to a crisis helpline where you live.
हिंदी अर्थ
आत्मा न कभी जन्म लेता है और न ही मरता है, वह सदा अमर और शाश्वत है। शरीर के नष्ट होने से आत्मा को कोई नुकसान नहीं होता क्योंकि वह अविनाशी है।
Word by Word
Krishna is talking about the self here, not the body. First he says what the self is not.
It isn't born. It doesn't die.
It didn't begin, and it won't end. Then he says what it is: unborn, eternal, lasting, ancient.
The last line is the point for Arjuna. When the body dies, the self doesn't.
A few verses later he gives two pictures of the same idea. 22, it's like putting away worn-out clothes for new ones.
23, weapons can't cut the self and fire can't burn it.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 2.20 — BG 2.20
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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