Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 20

Chapter 14 – Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥

Transliteration

guṇānetānatītya trīndehī dehasamudbhavān .
janmamṛtyujarāduḥkhairvimukto.amṛtamaśnute ॥

Meaning

Having transcended these three gunas, out of which the body is born, the embodied soul is freed from birth, death, old age and sorrow, and attains immortality.

Word meanings

गुणान् – the gunas
एतान् – these
अतीत्य – having crossed beyond
त्रीन् – three
देही – the embodied soul
देहसमुद्भवान् – out of which the body arises
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैः – from birth, death, old age and sorrow
विमुक्तः – freed
अमृतम् – immortality
अश्नुते – attains, enjoys

Anvaya (word order)

देही देहसमुद्भवान् एतान् त्रीन् गुणान् अतीत्य जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैः विमुक्तः अमृतम् अश्नुते ।

Explanation

The previous verse gave the knowledge that leads beyond the gunas; this verse states its fruit. Krishna calls the gunas deha-samudbhava, the source from which the body arises. As long as the soul is bound by the gunas, it will keep receiving bodies, and wherever there is a body, birth, death, old age and sorrow inevitably follow.

Atitya means 'having crossed beyond'. The gunas are not to be destroyed; they are the nature of prakriti and will remain as long as the body lasts. One must rise above them. A person who crosses a river does not dry it up but reaches the other shore; likewise the wise live among the gunas yet remain untouched by them.

Birth, death, old age and sorrow are humanity's four great fears; it was the sight of these that moved the Buddha to renounce the world. The Gita traces their root to identification with the gunas. When the Self knows itself as distinct from them, these conditions of the body no longer touch it.

Amritam ashnute: 'he attains (or tastes) immortality'. This nectar is no heavenly drink but the experience of the Self's natural deathlessness. Shankara notes that the wise realise this immortality even in this life, while still in the body, a state known as jivanmukti, liberation while living.

Context

The previous verse described the knowledge of the one who transcends the gunas; this verse gives its fruit, immortality. Hearing this, Arjuna naturally becomes curious and puts his questions in the next verse.

Life lesson

The ups and downs of life, ageing and death belong to the body, not to the Self. One who is established in this truth becomes free of fear and tastes peace in this very life.

Key terms

Deha-samudbhava: That from which the body arises
Atitya: Having crossed beyond, transcending
Amrita: Immortality, the experience of liberation