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Sankhya Yogaश्लोक 20/7228%

Bhagavad Gita 2.20

मूल पाठSource scriptureOriginal Sanskritमूल संस्कृत

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणोन हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

Explain this line · इस पंक्ति को सरल भाषा में समझें

मर्मThe Core Shift· Editorial, not scripture
The conscious Self is never born and never dies; it is eternal and untouched by bodily changes.
अर्थMeaning
अनुवादTranslationLiteral Hindi Translationमूल हिन्दी अनुवाद (अक्षरशः)मूलानुवाद · Literal

यह आत्मा न कभी जन्म लेती है, न कभी मरती है; और ऐसा भी नहीं कि एक बार अस्तित्व में आकर फिर वह न रहे। यह अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुरातन है। शरीर के मारे जाने पर भी यह नहीं मारी जाती।

अक्षरशः अनुवाद — मूल संस्कृत श्लोक के प्रत्येक पद का प्रत्यक्ष अर्थ।

अनुवादTranslationLiteral English TranslationLiteral Text

It is never born and never dies; nor, having once come to be, does it cease to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.

Direct literal rendering preserving Sanskrit philosophical terminology.

व्याख्याVyakhya
संपादकीय व्याख्याEditorial explanationVyakhya (व्याख्या)व्याख्या

यह श्लोक अध्याय 2 में आत्मा के स्वरूप की उस श्रृंखला का केंद्र है जो अर्जुन के शोक के उत्तर में कही गई है। इससे पहले कहा गया है कि इसे मारने वाला या मरने वाला समझना दोनों भूल हैं; यहाँ कारण बताया जाता है कि आत्मा जन्म और मृत्यु के क्रम में है ही नहीं। अज, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुराण चार विशेषण हैं: बिना जन्म का, सदा रहने वाला, काल से अप्रभावित, और जो पुराना होकर भी जीर्ण नहीं होता। पद भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः को दो तरह से अलग किया जाता है, इसलिए अर्थ भी दो तरह के मिलते हैं: एक बार होकर फिर न रहना ऐसा नहीं है, या होकर फिर दोबारा नए सिरे से होना ऐसा नहीं है। दोनों आत्मा को उत्पत्ति-नाश से परे बताते हैं। इसी श्लोक से मिलता-जुलता पाठ कठोपनिषद में भी आता है, जो दोनों ग्रंथों के संबंध की ओर संकेत करता है। अगले श्लोकों में इसी आधार पर मारने-मरने की धारणा का प्रश्न उठाया जाता है।

विज्ञान एवं आधुनिक उपयोगScience & Modern Application
आधुनिक चिंतनModern reflection · not scriptureContemplative Reflection & Actionआधुनिक चिंतन
जब किसी बड़े नुकसान या भय से घबराहट हो, तब यह देखने का अभ्यास करो कि कौन-सी बात बदलने वाले शरीर, पद या परिस्थिति की है और कौन-सी उस जानने वाले की जो इन सबको जानता है। पर किसी दूसरे के शोक में यह श्लोक सुनाने से पहले उसकी बात सुनो।
स्रोतSources and editionSources and editionस्रोत एवं संस्करण

Content status

  • Original text
  • Translation · from the source archive
  • Editorial explanation · draft, awaiting scholarly review

No independent human review is recorded for this verse yet. How this site is made.

Sanskrit edition
Gita Press Edition (गोरखपुर संवत् 2080). Gita Press, Gorakhpur / Muktabodha Digital Archive
Translation
Jayadayal Goyandka (Hindi), Swami Gambhirananda & Swami Sivananda (English)
Last updated
2026-10-23
Licence note (as recorded)
Community dataset — verify license terms at source repo before redistribution.
पाठ-भेद · Variant readings
Variant readings collated from Anandashram (Pune) and Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) critically edited texts.

Found a mistake?

संबंधित ज्ञानRelated wisdom

ये दर्ज संबंध हैं। अपने आप सुझाए हुए पाठ नहीं।

संबंधित अवधारणाएँRelated concepts

Explanation: simple

Where this verse sits प्रसंग

Editorial learning aid · not scriptureसंपादकीय अध्ययन-सहायक
Who is speaking?
Krishna
Who is listening?
Arjuna
What is happening?
Arjuna is weeping, dreading that performing his duty on the battlefield will extinguish the souls of his teachers and relatives.
What is being answered?
What is the true nature of human consciousness, and does physical death extinguish the conscious self?

Before this verse

  1. Arjuna fears the slaughter of venerated elders and kinfolk (1.31–1.37).
  2. Krishna begins teaching the distinction between the mortal body and the immortal Self (2.11–2.17).
  3. Krishna declares that while physical bodies have an end, the indwelling Self is indestructible (2.18–2.19).

This verse

  1. Krishna declares the famous sixfold negation of change: the Atman is never born, never dies, and remains unslain.

After this verse

  1. Krishna compares the casting off of worn-out bodies to a person discarding old garments for new ones (2.22).
Read previous verseRead full passageContinue the conversation

In one lineएक पंक्ति में

Simple explanationसरल व्याख्या

यह आत्मा न कभी जन्म लेती है और न मरती है; शरीर के नष्ट होने पर भी यह कभी नष्ट नहीं होती।

The conscious Self is never born, never dies, and remains unslain when the physical body perishes.

Simple meaningसरल अर्थ

Simple explanationसरल व्याख्या

आत्मा का न कभी जन्म होता है और न कभी मृत्यु। यह पहले भी थी, अब भी है और आगे भी रहेगी। यह अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुरातन है। शरीर के रोगग्रस्त, वृद्ध या नष्ट होने पर भी यह चैतन्य आत्मा कभी मारी नहीं जाती।

The conscious spirit within is not born at physical conception, nor does it perish at bodily death. Having existed once, it never ceases to be. It is unborn, eternal, unchanging, and ancient. While the physical frame alters, ages, and eventually falls away, the core witness consciousness is never destroyed.

Sanskrit Word Explorer मुख्य पद-विभाजन

Tap any word to inspect its root (dhatu), grammar, context, and philosophical nuances.

Teaching flow शिक्षा का क्रम

Teaching flow in order. Unborn (Ajaḥ) The true Self does not come into being when the biological body is formed. Then: Eternal (Nityaḥ) It exists continuously beyond temporal beginnings, durations, and ends. Then: Ever-Fresh (Śāśvataḥ Purāṇaḥ) Ancient yet never aging; physical decrepitude does not affect conscious essence. Then: Unslain (Na hanyate) When the physical organism perishes, the core conscious witness remains entirely intact.

Why it matters todayआज इसका महत्त्व

Modern example · not scriptureआधुनिक उदाहरण

  • मृत्यु-भय और अस्तित्वगत चिंता से मुक्ति

    Modern living often reduces human identity to a vulnerable biological machine. Knowing your consciousness is uncreated restores deep peace.

  • आयु और शारीरिक बदलावों में संतुलन

    Graying hair, declining stamina, and career transitions can threaten identity. The indwelling witness watches change without diminishing.

  • शोक में सांत्वना और आत्मिक संबल

    Understanding that physical departure does not extinguish conscious essence brings solace when mourning departed relatives.

Modern exampleआधुनिक उदाहरण

Modern example · not scriptureआधुनिक उदाहरण

A student suffering from intense anxiety over career failure or life uncertainty realizes that external worldly labels do not define their essential worth or consciousness, bringing mental grounding.

An illustration written to explain the teaching. No outcome is promised.

A shift in understanding

Editorial learning aid · not scriptureसंपादकीय अध्ययन-सहायक
A common first thought
“My entire identity is limited to this mortal body; when it weakens or dies, everything that I am is extinguished.”
With this teaching
“My body is a temporary, precious instrument, but my deepest essence is uncreated, deathless consciousness.”

Common misunderstandingआम भ्रांति

Editorial learning aid · not scriptureसंपादकीय अध्ययन-सहायक

Some readers take it to mean

“Because the soul is immortal, physical life is meaningless and we can be indifferent to death and violence.”

A fuller reading

The immortality of the Self liberates one from existential fear so they can act righteously (Dharma) with courage, not as an excuse for callous cruelty or recklessness.

What it does not meanयह क्या नहीं कहता

Editorial learning aid · not scriptureसंपादकीय अध्ययन-सहायक

  • Not: "Carelessness toward health or life"

    Knowing the Self is deathless is not a justification for physical recklessness or neglecting self-care. The body is a sacred temple and instrument for Dharma.

  • Not: "Coldness toward human grief"

    Grief is a natural emotional expression of love; recognizing the eternity of consciousness provides grounding reassurance rather than emotional denial.

Try this todayआज आज़माएँ

Practical reflection · optionalव्यावहारिक चिंतन

The Witness Meditation · 3 minutes

३ मिनट के लिए आंखें बंद करें। अपनी सांस और विचारों को आते-जाते देखें और पहचानें कि आप वे विचार नहीं, बल्कि उन्हें देखने वाले शांत साक्षी हैं।

Close your eyes for 3 minutes. Notice your breath moving in and out, and thoughts drifting past. Now ask: "Who is the silent awareness that is observing both breath and thoughts?" Rest quietly as that observer.

Pause and think रुकें और सोचें

How would you approach your daily challenges today if you knew that your innermost conscious self is completely immune to failure, aging, and death?

यदि आपको यह पूर्ण विश्वास हो कि आपकी मूल आत्मा असफलता, उम्र और मृत्यु से परे है, तो आज आप अपने भय का सामना कैसे करेंगे?

Was this explanation clear? · क्या यह स्पष्ट था?

Visual demonstration · चित्र द्वारा समझें

The Changing Body vs The Unchanging Self

Editorial diagram · not scripture

Verse 2.20 contrasts the mortal, evolving body with the eternal, indestructible consciousness.

In words

First, the physical body is subject to birth, undergoes change, experiences decay, and perishes at death. Second, the conscious Self has unborn nature with eternal continuity and ancient presence, and is not slain when body dies. Understanding this frees consciousness from existential fear.

Kind:
Before and after understanding
Based on:
Bhagavad Gita 2.20
Review:
Draft, awaiting review
Motion:
none; the diagram is static

The teaching in everyday life

Editorial contentReviewed by Editorial Scripture Team (V. S. Sharma & S. Shastri), 2026-09-19

Illustrations written by the editors to help you think about the verse. They are not part of the scripture, and they are not the only way to read it.

Student life
Struggling with self-esteem and feeling defined entirely by low test scores or academic ranking.
Marks measure preparation for a specific test, not your fundamental worth as a conscious human being. Your awareness is far vaster than an academic scorecard.
Professional life
Experiencing identity crisis after sudden job loss, demotion, or career setback.
A corporate designation is an external role you inhabited, not your essential self. Recognizing your inner witness remains intact gives you resilience to rebuild.
Creative work
Fearing that aging or changing artistic trends will render your life obsolete.
The creative source within you is timeless awareness. Forms and styles evolve, but the quiet consciousness witnessing the art is unborn and unexhausted.
Family responsibility
Processing profound grief and bereavement following the loss of an elder or loved one.
While physical departure is painful, the spirit of love and consciousness that animated them is deathless. Cherish their enduring gifts without falling into despair.
Interactive Verse Knowledge Graph · ज्ञान जाल

श्लोक सम्बन्ध एवं पार-ग्रंथ संदर्भ

Reviewed links only. A line here is a stored connection, not a guess from the neighboring verse.

Bhagavad Gita 2.20Current VerseKatha UpKatha Upanishad …BG 2.23Bhagavad Gita BG…2.22Bhagavad Gita 2.22Concept:AtmanChandogyChandogya Upanis…
🔵Parallel Teachingसमान उपदेश

Katha Upanishad 2.18

Katha Upanishad (कठोपनिषद्)

Read Verse

Sanskrit Text (मूल श्लोक / मंत्र)

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥

Translation / Meaning (भावार्थ)

The knowing Self is never born, nor does it die. It sprang from nothing, and nothing sprang from it. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain.

Why This is Connected (सम्बन्ध का आधार)

Direct verbatim parallel: Sri Krishna quotes the ancient Katha Upanishad mantra almost word-for-word to establish the immortality of the conscious witness.

Related teachings · संबंधित उपदेश

Editorial links for study. A link does not claim that two passages teach exactly the same thing.

  • Complementary teaching

    Bhagavad Gita 2.22

    Just as a person casts off worn-out garments and puts on new ones, the Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters new ones.

    Why linked: Provides the iconic metaphor illustrating the changelessness of the Self across bodily transitions described in 2.20.

    Review status: Approved

  • Similar teaching

    Bhagavad Gita 2.23

    Weapons cannot cleave the Self, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it.

    Why linked: Elaborates on the unslain and invulnerable nature of the conscious Self declared in 2.20.

    Review status: Approved

आगे क्या · What next