In Bhagavad Gita 2.20, Krishna declares that the Self is never born and never dies; unborn, eternal and ancient, it is not slain when the body is slain.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २-२० ॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
English transliteration na jaayate mriyate vaa kadaachin
naayam bhootvaa bhavitaa vaa na bhooyah
ajo nityah shaashvato’yam puraano
na hanyate hanyamaane shareere ॥ 2.20 ॥
Translation / Meaning
The Self is never born, nor does it ever die. Having come into being, it will never again cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न na | not |
| जायते jāyate | is born |
| म्रियते mriyate | dies |
| वा vā | or |
| कदाचित् kadācit | ever |
| न na | not |
| अयम् ayam | this |
| भूत्वा bhūtvā | having come to be |
| भविता bhavitā | will come to be |
| वा vā | or |
| न na | not |
| भूयः bhūyaḥ | again |
| अजः ajaḥ | unborn |
| नित्यः nityaḥ | eternal |
| शाश्वतः śāśvataḥ | everlasting |
| अयम् ayam | this |
| पुराणः purāṇaḥ | ancient |
| न na | not |
| हन्यते hanyate | is slain |
| हन्यमाने hanyamāne | when slain |
| शरीरे śarīre | the body |
Word-wise Chanting
- na jā–ya–te mri–ya–te vā ka–dā–cin 11 syllables na jaa-ya-te mri-ya-te vaa ka-daa-chin
- nā–yaṃ bhūt–vā bha–vi–tā vā na bhū–yaḥ | 11 syllables naa-yam bhoot-vaa bha-vi-taa vaa na bhoo-yah
- a–jo nit–yaḥ śāś–va–to–‘yaṃ pu–rā–ṇo 11 syllables a-jo nit-yah shaash-va-to-‘yam pu-raa-no
- na han–ya–te han–ya–mā–ne śa–rī–re || 2-20 11 syllables na han-ya-te han-ya-maa-ne sha-ree-re
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 2 Verse 20
Context
One of the Gita’s best-known verses, continuing the teaching on the Self (2.19), in the majestic triṣṭubh metre.
Meaning
The verse gathers the essential qualities of the Self: aja, unborn; nitya, eternal; śāśvata, everlasting; purāṇa, ancient yet ever new. The Self does not come into existence and therefore cannot go out of it. When the body dies, nothing happens to the Self except a change of dwelling. This echoes the Katha Upanishad, from which the verse is closely drawn.
To know this is the beginning of fearlessness. Most fear is, at root, fear of ceasing to exist. The Gita answers that fear not with a belief but with a pointer to direct experience: the awareness in you was not born with your body and does not depend on it. Living from that awareness, one can face loss and death with peace.
In Practice
Before sleep tonight, repeat slowly in your own words: “I was never born; I never die; I am the unchanging awareness.” Let the words settle as feeling.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga (The Yoga of Knowledge). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.