BhG 8.20

syntax

tasmāt tu (but from that) yaḥ (which) avyaktāt paraḥ (supreme than the unmanifested) anyaḥ (other) avyaktaḥ (unmanifested) sanātanaḥ (eternal) bhāvaḥ (nature),
saḥ (that) sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu (when all creatures perish) na vinaśyati (it does not perish).

grammar

paraḥ	–	para 1n.1 m. – beyond, ancient, final, the best, the supreme;
tasmāt	–	av. – therefore (from: tat sn. 5n.1 m. – from that);
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
bhāvaḥ	–	bhāva 1n.1 m. – state, existence, nature, emotions (from: √bhū – to be);
anyaḥ	–	anya sn. 1n.1 m. – other;
avyaktaḥ	–	a-vyakta (vi-√añj – to decorate, to make visible) PP 1n.1 m. – unmanifested, invisible, unevolved;
avyaktāt	–	a-vyakta (vi-√añj – to decorate, to make visible) PP 5n.1 m. – than the unmanifested, invisible, unevolved;
sanātanaḥ	–	sanātana 1n.1 m. – eternal, primeval;
yaḥ	–	yat sn. 1n.1 m. – which;
saḥ	–	tat sn. 1n.1 m. – ten;
sarveṣu	–	sarva sn. 7n.3 m. loc.abs. – in all;
bhūteṣu	–	bhūta (√bhū – to be) PP 7n.3 m. loc.abs. – in beings;
naśyatsu	–	naśyant (√naś – to disappear, to be lost, to perish) PPr 7n.3 m. loc.abs. – when perishing;
na	–	av. – not;
vinaśyati	–	vi-√naś (to destroy, to vanish, to be lost) Praes. P 1v.1 – it perishes;

textual variants

paras → parāt (than supreme);
‘vyakto ‘vyaktāt → ‘vyaktāvyaktaḥ / puruṣākhyaḥ / vyaktāvyaktaḥ (unmanifested / called the Man / manifested and unmanifested);
sanātanaḥ → avyaktaḥ / avyaktāt / sanātanāt (unmanifested / than unmanifested / than eternal);
yaḥ sa sarveṣu → sarveṣvapi / yas tu sarveṣu / yaḥ samaṁ sarva- / sarva eveṣu (even if all / but which when all / which the same when all);

Śāṃkara

yad upanyastam akṣaram, tasya prāpty-upāyo nirdiṣṭa om ity ekākṣaraṃ brahma [gītā 8.13] ity ādinā | athedānīm akṣarasyaiva svarūpa-nirdidikṣayedam ucyate, anena yoga-mārgeṇedaṃ gantavyam iti—

paro vyatirikto bhinnaḥ | kutaḥ ? tasmāt pūrvoktāt | tu-śabdo’kṣarasya vivakṣitasyāvyaktād vailakṣaṇya-viśeṣaṇārthaḥ | bhāvo’kṣarākhyaṃ paraṃ brahma | vyatiriktatve saty api sālakṣaṇya-prasaṅgo’stīti tad-vinivṛtty-artham āha—anya iti | anyo vilakṣaṇaḥ | sa cāvyakto’nindriya-gocaraḥ | paras tasmād ity uktam | kasmāt punaḥ paraḥ ? pūrvoktād bhūta-grāma-bīja-bhūtād avidyā-lakṣaṇād avyaktāt | anyo vilakṣaṇo bhāva ity abhiprāyaḥ | sanātanaś cirantano yaḥ sa bhāvaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu brahmādiṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati

Rāmānuja

commentary under the verse BhG 8.21

Śrīdhara

lokānām anityatvaṃ prapañcya parameśvara-svarūpasya nityatvaṃ prapañcayati – para iti dvābhyām | tasmāc carācara-kāraṇa-bhūtād avyaktāt paras tasyāpi kāraṇa-bhūto yo ‚nyas tad-vilakṣaṇo ‚vyaktaś cakṣur-ādy-agocaro bhāvaḥ sanātano ‚nādiḥ | sa tu sarveṣu kārya-kāraṇa-lakṣaṇeṣu bhūteṣu naśyatv api na vinaśyati

Madhusūdana

eam avaśānām utpatti-vināśa-pradarśanenābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartina ity etad vyākhyātam adhunā mām upetya punar janma na vidyata ity etad vyācaṣṭe dvābhyāṃ paras tasmād iti | tasmāc carācara-sthūla-prapañca-kāraṇa-bhūtād dhiraṇyagarbhākhyād avyaktāt paro vyatiriktaḥ śreṣṭho vā tasyāpi kāraṇa-bhūtaḥ | vyatireke ‚pi sālakṣaṇyaṃ syād iti nety āha-anyo ‚tyanta-vilakṣaṇaḥ na tasya pratimā asti iti śruteḥ | avyakto rūpādi-hīnatayā cakṣur-ādy-agocaro bhāvaḥ kalpiteṣu sarveṣu kāryeṣu sad-rūpeṇānugataḥ | ataeva sanātano nityaḥ | tu-śabdo heyād anityād avyaktād upādeyatvaṃ ntiyasyāvyaktasya vailakṣaṇyaṃ sūcayati | etādṛśo yo bhāvaḥ sa hiraṇyagarbha iva sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsv api na vinaśyati utpadyamāneṣv api notpadyata ity arthaḥ | hiraṇyagarbhasya tu kāryasya bhūtābhimānitvāt tad-utpatti-vināśābhyāṃ yuktāv evotpatti-vināśau na tu tad-anabhimānino ‚kāryasya parameśvarasyeti bhāvaḥ

Viśvanātha

tasmād ukta-lakṣaṇād avyaktāt prajāpater hiraṇyagarbhāt sakāśāt paraḥ śreṣṭaḥ | hiraṇyagarbhasyāpi kāraṇabhūto yo ‚nyaḥ khalv avyakto bhāvaḥ sanātano ‚nādiḥ

Baladeva

tad evaṃ karma-tantrāṇāṃ janma-vināśa-darśanena ābrahma-bhuvanāt ity etad vivṛtam | atha mām upetyaitad vivṛṇoti paras tasmād iti | tasmād utka-rūpād avyaktād brahmaṇo hiraṇyagarbhād anyo yo bhāvaḥ padārthaḥ paraḥ śreṣṭhas tato ‚tyanta-vilakṣaṇas tasyopāsya ity arthaḥ | ativailakṣaṇyam āha avyakta iti | ātam-vigrahatvāt pratyak ity arthaḥ | prasāditas tu pratyakṣo ‚pi bhavatīty uktaṃ prāk | sanātano ‚nādiḥ | sa khalu hiraṇyagarbha-paryanteṣu sarveṣu bhūteṣu na vinaśyati