Bhagavad Gita 2.20

This verse is spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, as part of the foundational teaching on the eternal nature of the soul (atman). It appears in the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, known as Sankhya Yoga, or the path of knowledge, where Krishna explains the distinction between the perishable body and the imperishable self.

The verse declares that the soul is never born and never dies; it is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed, establishing the core Hindu belief in the immortality of the self and its complete separation from the physical form.

This verse closely mirrors a passage from the Katha Upanishad (1.2.18), which also states that the wise self is not born nor dies. The Bhagavad Gita, as a later text, often draws upon and elaborates the teachings of the Upanishads, making this verse a direct link to earlier scriptural tradition.

For devotees, this verse provides comfort and courage, reminding them that the true self is beyond physical harm. Many devotees turn to it in times of loss and in meditation to reinforce the understanding of the soul's indestructibility, and it is one of the most quoted verses in discussions of reincarnation.

The verse is composed in the Trishtubh meter, with 11 syllables per line, giving it a rhythmic and solemn cadence. This meter is commonly used in the Gita for profound philosophical statements, and the careful arrangement of words emphasizes the contrast between the eternal soul and the temporary body.