Sankhya Yoga · Verse 24

Bhagavad Gita 2.24

What you are cannot be harmed by anything that changes.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च ।
नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
यह शरीरी काटा नहीं जा सकता, यह जलाया नहीं जा सकता, यह गीला नहीं किया जा सकता और यह सुखाया भी नहीं जा सकता । कारण कि यह नित्य रहनेवाला सबमें परिपूर्ण, अचल, स्थिर स्वभाववाला और अनादि है ॥
English
This embodied self cannot be cut, burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, all-pervading, unmoving, fixed, and timeless.

What this verse means

The true self cannot be destroyed by any physical force. It is permanent, present everywhere, unmoving, and beyond time.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen before the war. Krishna deepens his teaching: the inner being is not a body and cannot be harmed like a body. This verse strengthens the case for acting without grief.

Why this verse still matters

You are staring at a medical report, a breakup message, or a sudden layoff notice. Everything feels fragile. This verse reminds you that the deepest part of you is not made of what can be broken.

The takeaway

What you truly are is untouched by change, so fear loses its grip.

Word-by-word translation

अच्छेद्यः (uncuttable) / अयम् (this) / अदाह्यः (unburnable) / अयम् (this) / अक्लेद्यः (unwettable) / अशोष्यः (undryable) / एव (indeed) / च (and) / नित्यः (eternal) / सर्वगतः (all-pervading) / स्थाणुः (fixed) / अचलः (unmoving) / अयम् (this) / सनातनः (timeless)

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