Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita 2.20
Chapter 2, verse 20: the Sanskrit, the Roman letters, the meaning and what it is used for.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācinnāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
Meaning
The self is never born and never dies; having been, it does not cease to be. It is unborn, constant, eternal and ancient; it is not killed when the body is killed.
Explanation
This is the centre of the teaching of the second chapter. Krishna distinguishes the body, which is born, grows, decays and dies, from the self, which is not touched by those changes. The verse is often read at funerals, and it is also the answer Krishna gives to Arjuna's fear of killing his teachers: the self cannot be killed, so grief about its death is misplaced. Readers who are not seeking a metaphysical answer still find in it a calm way to hold the thought of loss.
Where it fits
This is verse 20 of 72 in chapter 2, "The wisdom of the self and of steady action" (Sankhya Yoga). previous verse (2.19) · next verse (2.21)
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Questions people ask
What does Bhagavad Gita 2.20 mean?
The self is never born and never dies; having been, it does not cease to be. It is unborn, constant, eternal and ancient; it is not killed when the body is killed.
Where is this verse?
It is verse 20 of chapter 2 (The wisdom of the self and of steady action), which has 72 verses.
Meanings and explanations are our own wording, not an authorised translation. Readers of the Gita follow different traditions and teachers; please ask yours about what you read here.