Bg. 8.20 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: । य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥ २० ॥

Verse text

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati

Synonyms

paraḥ — transcendental ; tasmāt — to that ; tu — but ; bhāvaḥ — nature ; anyaḥ — another ; avyaktaḥ — unmanifest ; avyaktāt — to the unmanifest ; sanātanaḥ — eternal ; yaḥ saḥ — that which ; sarveṣu — all ; bhūteṣu — manifestation ; naśyatsu — being annihilated ; na — never ; vinaśyati — is annihilated.

Translation

Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

20. Superior to the unmanifest state of Brahmā’s night is another unmanifest state which is eternal, which is not destroyed when everything else is destroyed.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

20. Superior to the unmanifest state of Brahma’s night is another unmanifest object which is eternal, which is not destroyed when everything else is destroyed.

Purport

Kṛṣṇa’s superior, spiritual energy is transcendental and eternal. It is beyond all the changes of material nature, which is manifest and annihilated during the days and nights of Brahmā. Kṛṣṇa’s superior energy is completely opposite in quality to material nature. Superior and inferior nature are explained in the Seventh Chapter.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Superior to that state of dissolution, to the Hiraṇyagarbha or Brahmā, superior to what has so far been described (paraḥ tasmāt avyaktāt), is another state, the cause of Hiraṇyagarbha, which is indeed unmanifest (avyakta), and without beginning (sanātanaḥ).

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

The rebirth of everyone stated in verse 16 has been elaborated in verses 17-19 by showing the birth and destruction of all entities under the control of karma. Now what the devotee attains (mām upetya) is described. Superior to the avyakta state of the night of Brahmā or Hiraṇyagarbha, there is another object (bhāvaḥ), which is very different, being the worthy object of worship. The remarkable qualities are stated. This object is invisible (avyaktaḥ), different from the forms assumed by the ātmā. However, by mercy, it can be perceived. This has been stated already (verse 14). This object is without beginning (sanātanaḥ) and is not destroyed when all bodies are destroyed at the end of Brahmā’s day.