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Bhagavad Gita 2.20
The traditional text
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥
Roman reading aid
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ |
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṃ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||
Meaning in everyday language
The Self is never born and never dies. It does not come to an end after having existed. Unborn, enduring, abiding and ancient, it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
Understand the teaching
This verse belongs to the Gita’s teaching about the difference between the embodied Self and the body. The words unborn and enduring deny that the Self follows the body’s sequence of arising, ageing and dying. Later Vedanta traditions explain the Self’s relation to Brahman in different ways; this short verse alone does not settle every disagreement among them.
Read the claim as a spiritual teaching about identity, alongside the Gita’s continuing concern with responsible action. A person’s body, pain and relationships still call for care. For someone grieving, the verse may offer a language of continuity, while patient listening allows that person to find meaning at their own pace.
Words and phrases
- न जायते (na jāyate)
- is not born
- न म्रियते (na mriyate)
- does not die
- अजः (ajaḥ)
- unborn
- नित्यः शाश्वतः (nityaḥ śāśvataḥ)
- eternal and abiding
- हन्यमाने शरीरे (hanyamāne śarīre)
- when the body is being destroyed
Pause and think
How could you discuss this verse with a friend who is grieving?
See an explained answer
I would listen first. If my friend wishes, we could read its teaching about the enduring Self together, while making space for sadness and practical support.