Chapter 8, Verse 20
Part of 8: Akṣhar Brahma Yog — अक्षरब्रह्मयोगपरस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः। यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति॥
Transliteration
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ yaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati
Meaning
But verily, there exists higher than this Unmanifested, another Unmanifested Eternal, which is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
Word-by-word meaning
paraḥ — transcendentaltasmāt — than thattu — butbhāvaḥ — creationanyaḥ — anotheravyaktaḥ — unmanifestavyaktāt — to the unmanifestsanātanaḥ — eternalyaḥ — whosaḥ — thatsarveṣhu — allbhūteṣhu — in beingsnaśhyatsu — cease to existna — nevervinaśhyati — is annihilated
Commentary
Another unmanifested in the ancient or eternal Para Brahman Who is distinct from the Unmanifested (Avyakta or Primordial Nature)? Who is of ite a different nature. It is superior to Hiranyagarbha (the Cosmic Creative Intelligence) and the Unmanifested Nature because It is their cause. It is not destroyed when all the beings from Brahma down to the ants or the blade of grass are destroyed. (Cf. XV.17)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 20?▼
But verily, there exists higher than this Unmanifested, another Unmanifested Eternal, which is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?▼
This is verse 20 of Chapter 8 (Akṣhar Brahma Yog — Path of the Eternal God) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.