Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga
Verse 20
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ |
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre || 20||
Simple English Meaning
O Arjuna!
The soul is never born, nor does it ever die.
It did not come into being at any point, nor will it cease to exist in the future.
The soul is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient.
Even when the body is destroyed, the soul is not destroyed.
Detailed Explanation
Lord Krishna gives Arjuna complete knowledge of the immortality of the soul.
He clearly states that the soul neither takes birth nor undergoes death at any time.
The soul was not destroyed in the past,
it is not destroyed in the present,
and it will never be destroyed in the future.
It is unborn, eternal, and an unchanging, timeless truth.
The body changes with time—
from youth to old age and finally perishes—
but the soul remains untouched by all these changes.
Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna that
even when the body is destroyed,
the soul remains unharmed and immortal.
Therefore, fear of death is related only to the body, not to the soul.
Meaning of the Words
na jāyate – is not born
mriyate – does not die
kadāchit – at any time
ayam – this soul
ajaḥ – unborn
nityaḥ – eternal
śhāśhvataḥ – everlasting
purāṇaḥ – ancient
na hanyate – is not destroyed
hanyamāne śharīre – when the body is destroyed
Deep Spiritual Meaning
This verse presents the highest principle of the soul’s immortality.
Human beings live in fear of birth and death
because they identify themselves with the body.
But the true reality is that
we are not the body, but the soul—
which is never born and never dies.
When a seeker deeply realizes this truth,
death becomes merely a change of the body,
not the end of existence.
This spiritual knowledge frees a person
from fear, grief, and attachment
and grants steady wisdom and inner peace.
Message of the Verse
The soul is immortal,
the body is perishable.
Birth and death belong only to the body;
the soul always remains eternal and indestructible.
Knowing this truth,
living without fear,
and walking firmly on the path of duty
is true wisdom and the ultimate purpose of life
