न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
किसी कालमें मैं नहीं था और तू नहीं था तथा ये राजालोग नहीं थे, यह बात भी नहीं है और इसके बाद भविष्य में मैं, तू और राजलोग हम सभी नहीं रहेंगे, यह बात भी नहीं है ॥
English
I was never absent, nor were you, nor these kings. Nor will any of us cease to be in the future.
What this verse means
Krishna says that he, Arjuna, and the kings have always existed in some form, and none of them will simply vanish after death.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna has collapsed under grief and doubt. Krishna begins by correcting his view of death: the living presence behind these bodies has not suddenly come into existence, and it will not simply end here.
Why this verse still matters
You are standing at a hospital bed, hearing that a loved one may not recover. Panic narrows everything to the body in front of you. This verse opens a larger horizon.
The takeaway
Fear softens when you stop treating the body as the whole story.
Word-by-word translation
न (not) / तु (indeed) / एव (only) / अहम् (I) / जातु (at any time) / न (not) / आसम् (was) / न (not) / त्वम् (you) / नेमे (nor these) / जनाधिपाः (kings) / न (not) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / न (not) / भविष्यामः (will be) / सर्वे (all) / वयम् (we) / अतः परम् (after this)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.
Explore related themes: kurukshetra (95 verses), atman (12 verses)