🌟 Shloka 3 of 20 – The Soul is Eternal

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Shloka 20 – Deep Dive
“The Self is never born and never dies…”

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📜 Sanskrit Verse

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥

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🔤 Transliteration

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

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🌍 English Translation

The soul is never born, nor does it ever die.
It has never come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being.
It is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient.
It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

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🧭 Context in the Gita

Krishna speaks this verse to awaken Arjuna from his sorrow. Arjuna is grieving the possible death of his loved ones in battle. Krishna doesn’t dismiss the pain — instead, He reveals the truth of the soul (ātman).

This verse is among the most profound spiritual declarations in world philosophy: You are not your body. You are the eternal soul — untouched by birth or death.

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🔍 Line-by-Line Explanation

🔹 न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्

“The soul is never born, nor does it ever die.”
The soul is not a product of time. It doesn’t begin or end — it just is. That which is eternal cannot go through creation or destruction.

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🔹 नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः

“It does not come into being now or in the future.”
It is not created by any event — it is beyond cause and effect. Existence is its very nature.

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🔹 अजो नित्यः शाश्वतः पुराणः

“Unborn, eternal, everlasting, and primeval…”
The soul is aja (unborn), nitya (eternal), shāśvata (unchanging), and purāṇa (ancient but ever-present). No time can wear it down.

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🔹 न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

“It is not slain when the body is slain.”
When the body dies, the soul remains untouched — like the sky unaffected by the burning of a house. The body perishes, not the being.

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🧠 Modern Life Applications

🧓 Conquering Fear of Death

• Understand that what truly is you cannot be destroyed.
• This thought comforts both the grieving and the dying.

🪞 Self-Esteem Beyond Appearance

• You’re not your face, age, race, or body size.
• Your real identity is luminous, timeless, divine.

🔁 Facing Life Changes

• Job loss, heartbreak, health issues — affect the body or mind, not the soul.
• Knowing this creates inner stability.

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✨ Real-Life Analogy

Imagine a person changing clothes — the garment may be new or torn, but the person remains.
Similarly, the soul changes bodies across lifetimes, but never ceases to exist.

We mourn over worn garments, forgetting that we are not the cloth, but the life within.

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📿 Daily Practice Tip (Layman-Friendly)

✅ Whenever you’re feeling low about your appearance, health, or life’s uncertainty, look into a mirror and softly say:

“I am the eternal soul — unbroken, unborn, undying.”

Say it like you mean it. Repeat it like a secret only the wise remember.

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🪔 Takeaway Affirmation

🎵 I am not this fading frame,
Nor bound by sorrow, loss, or name.
Unborn, ageless, calm, and free —
The soul eternal, that is me. 🎵