B.G 2.20

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥२-२०॥

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ । ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ॥2-20॥

[न (na) - not; जायते (jāyate) - is born; म्रियते (mriyate) - dies; वा (vā) - or; कदाचित् (kadācit) - at any time; न (na) - not; अयम् (ayam) - this; भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having been; भविता (bhavitā) - will be; वा (vā) - or; न (na) - not; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) - again; अजः (ajaḥ) - the unborn Lord; नित्यः (nityaḥ) - eternal; शाश्वतः (śāśvataḥ) - permanent; अयम् (ayam) - this; पुराणः (purāṇaḥ) - ancient one (individual being); न (na) - not; हन्यते (hanyate) - is killed; हन्यमाने (hanyamāne) - being killed; शरीरे (śarīre) - body;]

He is never born, nor does it ever die; nor, having once existed, does it cease to be. The ancient living being is similar to the unborn Lord who is eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval; he is not slain when the body is slain.

Gīta Bhāshya 2.20

The word 'ajaḥ' here refers to the unborn Lord. The word 'purāna' refers to the living being as he travels from one 'pura', i.e. body, to the other. He is eternal in the same way always. The Supreme Ātmān whose essence is understanding, is unobstructed by place, time, state, or others. Living beings are eternal as they have some similarity with the characteristics of the unborn Lord.

अत्र मन्त्रवर्णोऽप्यस्तीत्याह – 'न जायत' इति॥ नचेश्वरज्ञानवद् भूत्वा भविता। तद्धि -'तदैक्षत' (छां.उ.६.२.३)।

atra mantravarṇo'pyastītyāha – 'na jāyata' iti॥ naceśvarajñānavad bhūtvā bhavitā। taddhi -'tadaikṣata' (chāṃ.u.6.2.3)।

[अत्र (atra) - here; मन्त्रवर्णः (mantravarṇaḥ) - mantra text; अपि (api) - also; अस्ति (asti) - is; इति (iti) - thus; आह (āha) - says; न (na) - not; जायत (jāyata) - is born; न (na) - not; च (ca) - and; ईश्वर (īśvara) - God; ज्ञानवत् (jñānavat) - like knowledge; भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having become; भविता (bhavitā) - will be; तत् (tat) - that; हि (hi) - indeed; तदा (tadā) - then; ऐक्षत (aikṣata) - saw;]

Here, it is stated 'na jāyata' i.e. 'not born', as even vedic hymns reiterate the same. And like the knowledge of the divine, having existed it does not come into being. It is indeed stated, 'then he saw' (Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.3).

"देशतः कालतो योऽसाववस्थातः स्वतोऽन्यतः। अविलुप्तावबोधात्मा"

"deśataḥ kālato yo'sāvavasthātaḥ svato'nyataḥ। aviluptāvabodhātmā"

[देशतः (deśataḥ) - from the place; कालतः (kālataḥ) - from time; यः (yaḥ) - who; असौ (asau) - that; अवस्थातः (avasthātaḥ) - from the state; स्वतः (svataḥ) - from oneself; अन्यतः (anyataḥ) - from others; अविलुप्त (avilupta) - unobstructed; अवबोधात्मा (avabodhātmā) - The Supreme Ātmān whose essence is understanding;]

“The Supreme Ātmān whose essence is understanding is unobstructed by place, time, state, oneself, or others.”

(भाग.३.७.५)

(bhāga.3.7.5)

[भाग (bhāga) - part; ३ (3) - 3; ७ (7) - 7; ५ (5) - 5;]

(bhāga.3.7.5)

इत्यादि श्रुतिस्मृतिसिद्धम्।

ityādi śrutismṛtisiddham।

[इति (iti) - thus; आदि (ādi) - beginning; श्रुति (śruti) - Vedas; स्मृति (smṛti) - Smritis; सिद्धम् (siddham) - established;]

Thus, it is established as per the Vedas and Smritis.

कुतः? अजादिलक्षणेश्वरसरूपत्वात्। शाश्वतः सदैकरूपः। पुरं देहम् अणतीति पुराणः। तथाऽपि न हन्यते हन्यमानेऽपि देहे ॥२० ॥

kutaḥ? ajādilakṣaṇeśvarasarūpatvāt। śāśvataḥ sadaikarūpaḥ। puraṃ deham aṇatīti purāṇaḥ। tathā'pi na hanyate hanyamāne'pi dehe ॥20॥

[कुतः (kutaḥ) - why; अजादि (ajādi) - unborn etc.; लक्षण (lakṣaṇa) - characteristics; ईश्वर (īśvara) - lord; सरूपत्वात् (sarūpatvāt) - due to the similarity in nature; शाश्वतः (śāśvataḥ) - eternal; सदैकरूपः (sadaikarūpaḥ) - always of one form; पुरं (puraṃ) - city; देहम् (deham) - body; अणतीति (aṇatīti) - pervades; पुराणः (purāṇaḥ) - ancient; तथा (tathā) - thus; अपि (api) - even; न (na) - not; हन्यते (hanyate) - is killed; हन्यमाने (hanyamāne) - being killed; अपि (api) - even; देहे (dehe) - body;]

Why (is living being eternal)? Because of its similarity with the characteristics of the unborn Lord. Eternally the Lord has a single, unchanging form. (The living being) is called 'purāna' as he travels from one 'pura', i.e. body, to the other. Thus, even when the body is being destroyed, it is not destroyed.

Gīta Tātparya 2.20

That which moves through ancient times, i.e. the living being, is called 'Purāṇa'. This living being is also unborn and eternal. Limited power, limited knowledge, dependence, incompleteness, and being a subsistence being are living beings' natural qualities. To be a living being, i.e. to be Jīva, is the opposite of being the 'Īswara', which means the Lord.

अयं जीवोSपि अजः नित्यश्च। अन्यथा पुनरुक्तेः। शाश्वतश्च। न कदाचिदस्वातन्त्र्यादिकं जीवस्वरूपं जहाति।

ayaṁ jīvo'pi ajaḥ nityaśca। anyathā punarukteḥ। śāśvataśca। na kadācidasvātantryādikaṁ jīvasvarūpaṁ jahāti।

[अयम् (ayam) - this; जीवः (jīvaḥ) - soul; अपि (api) - also; अजः (ajaḥ) - unborn; नित्यः (nityaḥ) - eternal; च (ca) - and; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; पुनरुक्तेः (punarukteḥ) - repetition; शाश्वतः (śāśvataḥ) - perpetual; च (ca) - and; न (na) - not; कदाचित् (kadācit) - ever; अस्वातन्त्र्यादिकम् (asvātantryādikam) - dependence and the like; जीवस्वरूपम् (jīvasvarūpam) - nature of the living being; जहाति (jahāti) - abandons;]

This living being is also unborn and eternal. Otherwise, it would be a repetition. And he is perpetual as well. The living being never abandons its very nature of dependence and the like.

"अल्पशक्तिरसार्वज्ञ्यम् पारतन्त्र्यमपूर्णता। उपजीवकत्वं जीवत्वमीशत्वं तद्विपर्ययः। स्वाभाविकं तयोरेतत् नान्यथा स्यात् कथञ्चन। वदन्ति शाश्वतावेतावत एव महाजनाः॥"

"alpaśaktirasārvajñyam pāratantryamapūrṇatā। upajīvakatvaṃ jīvatvamīśatvaṃ tadviparyayaḥ। svābhāvikaṃ tayoretat nānyathā syāt kathañcana। vadanti śāśvatāvetāvata eva mahājanāḥ॥"

[अल्पशक्ति (alpaśakti) - limited power; असार्वज्ञ्यम् (asārvajñyam) - lack of omniscience; पारतन्त्र्यम् (pāratantryam) - dependence; अपूर्णता (apūrṇatā) - incompleteness; उपजीवकत्वम् (upajīvakatvam) - subsistence; जीवत्वम् (jīvatvam) - mortality; ईशत्वम् (īśatvam) - lordship; तद्विपर्ययः (tadviparyayaḥ) - opposite of that; स्वाभाविकम् (svābhāvikam) - natural; तयोः (tayoḥ) - of those two; एतत् (etat) - this; न (na) - not; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; स्यात् (syāt) - would be; कथञ्चन (kathañcana) - in any way; वदन्ति (vadanti) - say; शाश्वतौ (śāśvatau) - eternal; एतावत एव (etāvata eva) - only this much; महाजनाः (mahājanāḥ) - great people;]

“Limited power, limited knowledge, dependence, incompleteness, and being a subsistence being are living beings' natural qualities. To be a living being, i.e. to be Jīva, is the opposite of being the 'Īswara', which means the Lord. The great authorities declare that only these two are eternal.”

-इति महाविष्णुपुराणे।

-iti mahāviṣṇupurāṇe।

[इति (iti) - thus; महाविष्णुपुराणे (mahāviṣṇupurāṇe) - in the Mahavishnu Purana;]

- stated thus in Mahā Vishnu Purāna.

पुराणि अणति गच्छतीति पुराणः ॥२०॥

purāṇi aṇati gacchatīti purāṇaḥ ॥20॥

[पुराणि (purāṇi) - ancient texts; अणति (aṇati) - breathes; गच्छतीति (gacchatīti) - goes; पुराणः (purāṇaḥ) - ancient;]

That which moves through ancient times, (i.e. the living being) is called 'Purāṇa'.