Bhagavad-gītā 2.20
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः। अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।2.20।।
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
This in never born, nor does It die. It is not that not having been It again comes into being. (Or according to another view: It is not that having been It again ceases to be). This is unborn, eternal, changeless, ever-Itself. It is not killed when the body is killed.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| na jāyate | is not born |
| mriyate | dies |
| vā | or |
| kadāchit | at any time |
| na | not |
| ayam | this |
| bhūtvā | having once existed |
| bhavitā | will be |
| vā | or |
| na | not |
| bhūyaḥ | further |
| ajaḥ | unborn |
| nityaḥ | eternal |
| śhāśhvataḥ | immortal |
| ayam | this |
| purāṇaḥ | the ancient |
| na hanyate | is not destroyed |
| hanyamāne | is destroyed |
| śharīre | when the body |
Use the word map to follow the relation among na jāyate (is not born), na (not), and śharīre (when the body). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.20.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
This in never born, nor does It die
- 2
It is not that not having been It again comes into being
- 3
(Or according to another view
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the enduring self.
Link
Use the line starts: na jāyate / nāyaṁ bhūtvā / ajo nityaḥ / na hanyate.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.20, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.20 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.20, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition