BhG 2.20

na jāyate mriyate vā kadā-cin nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

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analysis

syntax


ayam (he) kadā-cit (at any time) na jāyate (is not born),
vā [ayam] (or he) na mriyate (does not die),
vā (or) [ayam kadā-cit] (he at any time) bhūtvā (being) bhūyaḥ (again) na bhavitā (he will not become).
ayam (he) ajaḥ (unborn), nityaḥ (eternal), śāśvataḥ (constant), purāṇaḥ (ancient) [asti] (is).
śarīre hanyamāne [api] (even when the body is being killed) [saḥ] (he) na hanyate (is not killed).

 

grammar

na – av. – not;
jāyate – √jan (to be born) Praes. Ā 1v.1 – he is born;
mriyate – √mṛ (to die) Praes. Ā 1v.1 – he dies;
vā – av. – or, and, on the other side, but even if, however;
kadā-cit – av. – whenever, at any time (from: kadā – when? at what time?; -cit – indefinitive particle);
na – av. – not;
ayam – idam sn. 1n.1 m. – he;
bhūtvā – √bhū (to be) absol. – after becoming;
bhavitā – √bhū (to be) Fut.p. P 1v.1 – he will become; or bhavitṛ 1n.1 m. – one who exists;
vā – av. – or, and, on the other side, but even if, however;
na – av. – not;
bhūyaḥ – av. – more, again, besides;
ajaḥ – a-ja 1n.1 m. – unborn (from: √jan – to be born; –ja – suffix: born);
nityaḥ – nitya 1n.1 m. – continual, eternal, daily;
śāśvataḥ – śāśvata 1n.1 m. – eternal, constant, perpetual;
ayam – idam sn. 1n.1 m. – he;
purāṇaḥ – purāṇa 1n.1 m. – ancient, belonging to old times (from: √pur – to precede);
na – av. – not;
hanyate – √han (to kill, to strike, to beat) Praes. pass. 1v.1 – he is killed;
hanyamāne – hanyamāna (√han – to strike, to beat, to kill) PPr 7n.1 m. loc.abs. – when being killed;
śarīre – śarīra 7n.1 n. loc.abs. – in the body (from: √śri – to lean on, to rest on; or from: √śṝ – to break, to crush, śarīra – easy to be destroyed, the body);

 

textual variants


bhavitā → ‘bhavitā (not becoming; one who will not exist);
vā na bhūyaḥ → vā kadā-cit / nāvabhūyaḥ (or whenever / not to become);
śarīre → atīte (in the dead);
 
 


commentaries

Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

The Self is immutable.
How is the Self immutable? – This is answered by the next verse:

 katham avikriya ātmeti dvitīyo mantraḥ –

He is not born, nor does He ever die;
after having been, He again ceases not to be; nor the reverse.
Unborn, eternal, unchangeable and primeval,
He is not slain when the body is slain.

 na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṃ bhūtvābhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ |
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṃ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||2.20||

He is not born; no such change of condition as birth takes place in the Self. Nor does He die: this denies the last change of condition called death. –

 na jāyate notpadyate, jani-lakṣaṇā vastu-vikriyā na ātmano vidyate ity arthaḥ | tathā na mriyate vā | vā-śabdaḥ cārthe | na mriyate ca iti antyā vināśa-lakṣaṇā vikriyā pratiṣidhyate |

‘Ever’ should be construed with the denial of every change, thus: He is never born, never dies, and so on. –

 kadācic chabdaḥ sarva-vikriyā-pratiṣedhaiḥ saṃbadhyate – na kadācit jāyate, na kadācit mriyate, ity evam |

For, the Self, having once existed, does not afterwards cease to be any more. In ordinary parlance he is said to die who, having once existed, afterwards ceases to be. Neither does the Self come into existence, like the body, having not existed before.

 yasmāt ayam ātmā bhūtvā bhavana-kriyām anubhūya paścāt abhavitā abhāvaṃ gantā na bhūyaḥ punaḥ, tasmāt na mriyate | yo hi bhūtvā na bhavitā sa mriyata ity ucyate lokā |

Wherefore He is unborn. For, he is said to be born who, having not existed, comes into existence. Not so is the Self.

 vā-śabdāt na-śabdāc ca ayam ātmā abhūtvā vā bhavitā dehavat na bhūyaḥ | tasmāt na jāyate | yo hi abhūtvā bhavitā sa jāyata ity ucyate | naivam ātmā | ato na jāyate |

Wherefore He is unborn. And because He does not die, He is eternal.

 yasmād evaṃ tasmāt ajaḥ, yasmāt na mriyate tasmāt nityaś ca |

[Though, by the denial of the first and the last changes, all changes have been denied, yet it is thought necessary to .directly deny the intermediate changes, in the words ‚unchangeable,’ &c., so as to imply the absence of all such changes of condition as motion, though not specified here.]

 yadyapi ādy-antayor vikriyayoḥ pratiṣedhe sarvā vikriyāḥ pratiṣiddhā bhavanti, tathāpi madhya-bhāvinīnāṃ vikriyāṇāṃ sva-śabdair eva tad-arthaiḥ pratiṣedhaḥ kartavyo ’nuktānām api yauvanādi-samasta-vikriyāṇāṃ pratiṣedho yathā syāt ity āha – śāśvata ity ādinā |

He is unchangeable: He is constant, not subject to the change of condition known as decline (apakshaya). Having no parts, He does not diminish in His own substance. As devoid of qualities, He does not diminish by loss of a quality.

 śāśvata iti apakṣaya-lakṣaṇā vikriyā pratiṣidhyate | śaśvad-bhavaḥ śāśvataḥ | na apakṣīyate svarūpeṇa, niravayavatvāt | nāpi guṇa-kṣayeṇa apakṣayaḥ, nirguṇatvāt |

He is primeval, not subject to the change known as growth (vṛddhi) as opposed to decline. For, that which increases in size by the accretion of parts is said to grow and to be renewed. As devoid of parts, the Self was as fresh in the past (as He is now or will be in future; i. e. He is ever the same); He never grows.

 apakṣaya-viparītāpi vṛddhi-lakṣaṇā vikriyā pratiṣidhyate – purāṇa iti | yo hi avayavāgamena upacīyate sa vardhate abhinava iti ca ucyate | ayaṃ tu ātmā niravayavatvāt purāpi nava eveti purāṇaḥ na vardhate ity arthaḥ |
And He is not slain when the body is slain: He is not transformed when the body is transformed. – To avoid tautology, slaying is interpreted to mean transformation: the Self is not subject to transformation. tathā na hanyate | hantiḥ atra vipariṇāmārthe draṣṭavyo ’punar uktatāyai | na vipariṇamyate ity arthaḥ | hanyamāne vipariṇamyamāne ’pi śarīre |

This verse teaches the absence in the Self of the six bhava-vikaras, – of the six vikāras or changes of condition to which all bhavas or beings in the world are subject.

 asmin mantre ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikārā laukika-vastu-vikriyā ātmani pratiṣidhyante | sarva-prakāra-vikriyā-rahita ātmā iti vākyārthaḥ |

The passage, on the whole, means that the Self is devoid of all sorts of change. Hence the words in the previous verse, ” both these know not aright.”

 yasmād evaṃ tasmāt ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ iti pūrveṇa mantreṇa asya saṃbandhaḥ ||2.20||

 

Rāmānuja

uktaiḥ eva hetubhiḥ nityatvād apariṇāmitvād ātmano janma-maraṇādyaḥ sarva evācetana-deha-dharmā na santi, ity ucyate | tatra na jāyate mriyata iti vartamānatayā sarveṣu deheṣu sarvaiḥ anubhūyamāne janma-maraṇe kadācid apy ātmānaṃ na spṛśataḥ | nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavati vā na bhūyo’yaṃ kalpānte bhūtvā bhūyaḥ kalpānte ca na bhavitā iti na | keṣucit prajāpati-prabhṛti-deheṣv āgamenopalabhyamānaṃ kalpādau jananaṃ kalpānte ca maraṇam ātmānaṃ na spṛśati ity arthaḥ | ataḥ sarva-deha-gata ātmā ajaḥ | ataeva nityaḥ śāśvataḥ prakṛtivad viśada-satata-pariṇāmair api nānvīyate | ataḥ purāṇaḥ purātano’pi navaḥ | sarvadāpūrvavad anubhāvya ity arthaḥ | ataḥ śarīre hanyamāne’pi na hanyate’yam ātmā

 

Śrīdhara

na hanyata ity etad eva ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikāra-śūnyatvena draḍhayati neti | na jāyata ity ādi | na jāyata iti janma-pratiṣedhaḥ | na mriyata iti vināśa-pratiṣedhaḥ | vā-śabdau cārthe | na cāyaṃ bhūtvā utpadya bhavitā bhavati astitvaṃ bhajate, kintu prāg eva svataḥ sad-rūpa iti janmāntarāstitva-lakṣaṇa-dvitīya-vikāra-pratiṣedhaḥ | tatra hetuḥ yasmād ajaḥ | yo hi na jāyate sa hi janmāntaram astitvaṃ bhajate, na tu yaḥ svayam evāsti sa bhūyo ‚pi anyad astitvaṃ bhajate ity arthaḥ | nityaḥ sarvdaika-rūpa iti vṛddhi-pratiṣedhaḥ | śāśvataḥ śaśvad-bhava iti apakṣaya-pratiṣedhaḥ | purāṇa iti vipariṇāma-pratiṣedhaḥ | purāpi nava eva na tu pariṇāmataḥ rūpāntaraṃ prāpya navo bhavatīty arthaḥ |
yad vā na bhavitety asyānuṣaṅgaṃ kṛtvā bhūyo ‚dhikaṃ yathā bhaviteti tathā na bhavatīti vṛddhi-pratiṣedhaḥ | ajo nitya iti cobhaya-vṛddhy-ādy-abhāve hetur iti na paunaruktyam | tad evaṃ jāyate asti vardhate vipariṇamate apakṣīyate naśyaty evaṃ yāskādibhir veda-vādibhir uktāḥ ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikārā nirastāḥ | yad artham ete vikārā nirastās taṃ prastutaṃ vināśābhāvam upasaṃharati na hanyate hanyamāne śarīra iti

 

Madhusūdana

kasmād ayam ātmā hanana-kriyāyāḥ kartā karma ca na bhavati ? avikriyatvād ity āha dvitīyena mantreṇa | jāyate ‚sti vardhate vipariṇamate ‚pakṣīyate vinaśyatīti ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikārā iti vārṣyāyaṇiḥ iti nairuktāḥ | tatrādy-antayor niṣedhaḥ kriyate na jāyate mriyate veti | vā-śabdaḥ samuccayārthaḥ | na jāyate na mriyate cety arthaḥ | kasmād ayam ātmā notpadyate ? yasmād ayam ātmā kadācit kasminn api kāle na bhūtvābhūtvā prāg bhūyaḥ punar api bhavitā na | yo hy abhūtvā bhavati sa utpatti-lakṣaṇāṃ vikriyām anubhavati | ayaṃ tu prāg api sattvādyato notpadyate ‚to ‚jaḥ | tathāyam ātmā bhūtvā prāk kadācid bhūyaḥ punar na bhavitā | na vā-śabdād vākya-vipari-vṛttiḥ | yo hi prāg-bhūtvottara-kāle na bhavati sa mṛt-lakṣaṇāṃ vikriyām anubhavati | ayaṃ tūttara-kāle ‚pi sattvādyato na miryate ‚to nityo vināśāyogya ity arthaḥ | atra na bhūtvety atra samāsābhāve ‚pi nānupapattir nānuyojeṣv ativat | bhagavatā pāṇininā mahā-vibhāṣādhikāre nañ-samāsa-pāṭhāt | yat tu kātyāyanenoktaṃ samāsa-nityatābhiprāyeṇa vā-vacanānarthakyaṃ tu svabhāva-siddhatvāt iti tad-bhagavat-pāṇiini-vacana-virodhād anādeyam | tad uktam ācārya-śavara-svāminā – asad-vādī hi kātyāyanaḥ iti |

atra na jāyate mriyate veti pratijñā | kadācin nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūya iti tad-upapādanam | ajo nitya iti tad-upasaṃhāra iti vibhāgaḥ | ādyantayor vikārayor niṣedhena madhyavarti-vikārāṇāṃ tad-vyāpyānāṃ niṣedhe jāte ‚pi gamanādi-vikārāṇām anuktānām apy upalakṣaṇāyāpakṣayaś ca vṛddhiś ca sva-śabdenaiva nirākriyete | tatra kūṭastha-nityatvād ātmano nirguṇatvāc ca na svarūpato guṇato vāpakṣayaḥ sambhavatīty uktaṃ śāśvata iti | śaśvat sarvadā bhavati nāpakṣīyate nāpacīyata ity arthaḥ | yadi nāpakṣīyate tarhi vardhatām iti nety āha purāṇa iti | purāpi nava eka-rūpo na tv adhunā nūtanāṃ kāñcid avasthām anubhavati | yo hi nūtanāṃ kāñcid upacayāvasthām anubhavati sa vardhata ity ucyate loke | ayaṃ tu sarvadaika-rūpatvān nāpacīyate nopacīyate cety arthaḥ | astitva-vipariṇāmau tu janma-vināśāntarbhūtatvāt pṛthaṅ na niṣiddhau | yasmād evaṃ sarva-vikāra-śūnya ātmā tasmāc charīre hanyamāne tat-sambaddho ‚pi kenāpy upāyena na hanyate na hantuṃ śakyata ity upasaṃhāraḥ

 

Viśvanātha

jīvātmano nityatvaṃ spaṣṭatayā sādhayati na jāyate miryate iti janma-maraṇayor vartamānatva-niṣedhaḥ | nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā iti tayor bhūtatva-bhaviṣyatva-niṣedhaḥ | ataeva aja iti kāla-traye ‚pi ajasya janmābhāvān nāsya prāg-abhāvaḥ | śāśvataḥ śaśvat sarva-kāla eva vartata iti nāsya kāla-traye ‚pi dhvaṃsaḥ | ataevāyaṃ nityaḥ | tarhi bahu-kāla-sthāyitvāj jarā-grasto ‚yam iti cen na | purāṇaḥ purāpi navaḥ prācīno ‚py ayaṃ navīna iveti ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikārābhāvād iti bhāvaḥ | nanu śarīrasya maraṇād aupacārikaṃ tu maraṇam asyāstu ? tatrāha neti | śarīreṇa saha sambaddhābhāvāt na upacāraḥ

 

Baladeva

atha jāyate asti vardhate viparaṇamate apakṣīyate vinaśyati iti yāskādy-ukta-ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikāra-rāhityena prāg-ukta-nityatvaṃ draḍhayati na jāyate iti | cārthe vā-śabdau | ayam ātmā jīvaḥ kadācid api kāle na jāyate na mriyate ceti janma-vināśayoḥ pratiṣedhaḥ | na cāyam ātmā bhūtvotpadya bhavitā bhaviṣyatīti janmāntarasyāstitvasya pratiṣedhaḥ | na bhūya iti ayam ātmā bhūyo ‚dhikaṃ yathā syāt tathā na bhavatīti buddheḥ pratiṣedhaḥ | kuto bhūyo na bhavatīty atra hetur ajo nitya iti | utpatti-vināśa-yogī khalu vṛkṣādir utpadya vṛddhiṃ gacchan naṣṭaḥ | ātmanas tu tad-ubhayābhāvāt na vṛddhir ity arthaḥ | śāśvata ity apakṣayasya pratiṣedhaḥ | śaśvat sarvadā bhavati nāpakṣīyate nāpakṣayaṃ bhajatīty arthaḥ | purāṇa iti vipariṇāmasya pratiṣedhaḥ | purāṇaṃ purāpi navo na tu kiṃcin nūtanaṃ rūpāntaram adhunā na labdha ity arthaḥ | tad evaṃ ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikāra-śūnyatvād ātmā nityaḥ | yasmād īdṛśas tasmāc charīre hanyamāne ‚pi sa na hanyate | tathā cārjuno ‚yaṃ guru-hantety avijñoktyā duṣkīrter abibhyatā tvayā śāstrīyaṃ dharma-yuddhaṃ vidheyam

 
 


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