After establishing that the wise do not grieve, Lord Krishna now explains precisely why. He directly addresses Arjuna’s fundamental fear—the fear of causing annihilation—by revealing the first great truth about the nature of the self. The Na Tv Evaham Jatu Nasam verse is a direct and unambiguous declaration of the soul’s eternal individuality. It serves as the bedrock for all the spiritual knowledge that will follow, replacing the fear of non-existence with the certainty of continuous being.
Sanskrit Verse
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ १२ ॥Transliteration
na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ paramWord for Word Translation
na — never; tu — but; eva — certainly; aham — I; jātu — at any time; na āsam — did not exist; na — not; tvam — you; na — not; ime — all these; jana-adhipāḥ — kings; na — never; ca — also; eva — certainly; na bhaviṣyāmaḥ — shall we cease to exist; sarve vayam — all of us; ataḥ param — hereafter.
English Translation
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
Explanation
Each Bhagavad Gita verse whispers ancient truths, let’s listen closely with Vedic Stories…
This is one of the most important verses in the entire Gita, as it unequivocally establishes the doctrine of the soul’s eternal nature. Krishna makes three distinct points.
- The Eternality of God and the Soul: Krishna begins by stating His own eternal existence: “Never was there a time when I did not exist.” He then immediately extends this same quality to Arjuna and all the other individual souls on the battlefield (“nor you, nor all these kings”). This is a radical statement. He is teaching that eternity is not a quality reserved for God alone; it is the inherent nature of every individual living being, or Atman.
- Individuality is Preserved: The verse emphasizes the plural. Krishna says “I,” “you,” “these kings,” and “all of us.” This confirms that even in the past and future, each soul remains an individual. This directly counters the fear that death leads to an annihilation of the self or a vague merging into a formless void. Our unique identity is as eternal as our existence.
- Existence in Past, Present, and Future: This powerful statement covers all three phases of time. It establishes that we are not beings who are created at birth and destroyed at death. We are timeless entities who have always existed and will always exist. This forms the philosophical basis for understanding reincarnation, which will be explained in the next verse. Death is not an end, but merely a transition that does not interrupt the soul’s continuous existence.
Conclusion
With this single, profound declaration, Krishna dismantles the very foundation of Arjuna’s grief. Arjuna was afraid of destroying his relatives, but Krishna reveals that the real person—the soul—can never be destroyed. The fear of causing someone to “cease to be” is based on a misunderstanding of what “being” truly is. By establishing the eternal individuality of every soul, this verse provides the crucial first step toward spiritual vision, allowing one to see beyond the temporary comings and goings of the material body.
Read Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 – Verse 13 – Dehino Smin Yatha Dehe
