🌟 Shloka 20 of 20 – That Which Cannot Be Destroyed

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Shloka 20 – Deep Dive
“The soul 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, ever-existing, and primeval.
It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

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🧭 Context in the Gita

Early in Chapter 2, Arjuna is broken by grief. He sees loved ones lined up on the battlefield and is overwhelmed by sorrow.

Krishna begins to lift him, not through strategy or sympathy — but by revealing the eternal truth of the ātmā (soul):

“You are not this body. What truly is… cannot end.”

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🔍 Line-by-Line Explanation

🔹 न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्

“It is never born and never dies…”
The soul doesn’t begin, and it doesn’t end.
It is timeless presence.

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🔹 अजो नित्यः शाश्वतः पुराणः

“It is unborn, eternal, indestructible, and ancient…”
Unlike the body, the soul has no birth certificate and no expiry date. It just IS — pure being.

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🔹 न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

“It is not killed when the body is killed…”
When a pot breaks, the space inside remains.
When the body falls, consciousness continues.

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🧠 Modern Life Applications

⚰️ In Facing Death or Grief

• This verse reframes loss.
  You haven’t lost the soul — only the form.
  Grief remains, but it is softened by divine perspective.

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🛡️ In Overcoming Fear

• Fear of death, aging, or failure loses its power when you know:
  You are not this temporary shell.

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🧘 In Meditation

• This verse is a perfect anchor for self-inquiry.
  Who am I, if I was never born? What remains when all roles dissolve?

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✨ Real-Life Analogy

Imagine wearing a jacket in winter. The jacket may get torn, dirty, or discarded.
But you are not the jacket. You remain.

Likewise, the body is a temporary outer layer — the Self is unbreakable, eternal, and serene.

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📿 Daily Practice Tip (Layman-Friendly)

✅ Each morning, before you start your day, look into the mirror and say:

“This is my body, not my Self.
I am timeless. I am light. I am free.”

Even one minute of this truth can reshape your whole life.

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🪔 Takeaway Affirmation

🎵 I am not born, I do not die,
I do not weep, I do not try.
I simply shine — beyond all form,
The silent truth, eternal, warm. 🎵