Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga, verse 20
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥
Say itna jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
Translation
It is not born, nor does it ever die; after having been, it again does not cease to be; unborn, eternal, changeless, and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.
Swami Sivananda
Never is this One born, nor does It ever die; nor, having come into existence, does It cease to be. This One is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient; It is not killed when the body is killed.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
It is never born; it never dies; having come into existence once, it never ceases to exist. Unborn, eternal, perpetual, and primordial, it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
This is neither born nor ever dies; nor, having not been at one time, will it come to be again. It is unborn, destructionless, eternal, and ancient, and is not slain even when the body is slain.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
It was not born; it will never die, nor, once having been, can it cease to exist. Unborn, eternal, ever-enduring, yet most ancient, the spirit does not die when the body is dead.
Shri Purohit Swami
यह शरीरी न कभी जन्मता है और न मरता है तथा यह उत्पन्न होकर फिर होनेवाला नहीं है। यह जन्मरहित, नित्य-निरन्तर रहनेवाला, शाश्वत और पुराण (अनादि) है। शरीरके मारे जानेपर भी यह नहीं मारा जाता।
Swami Ramsukhdas
यह आत्मा किसी काल में भी न जन्मता है और न मरता है और न यह एक बार होकर फिर अभावरूप होने वाला है। यह आत्मा अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुरातन है, शरीर के नाश होने पर भी इसका नाश नहीं होता।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.