FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 14.20

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भ‍वान् । जन्ममृत्युजरादु:खैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्न‍ुते ॥ २० ॥
guṇān etān atītya trīn
[gunaan etaan ateetya treen]
dehī deha-samudbhavān
[dehee deha-samudbhavaan]
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair
[janma-mrityu-jaraa-duhkhair]
vimukto ’mṛtam aśnute
[vimukto ’mritam ashnute]
Word-for-word
guṇān — qualities etān — all these atītya — transcending trīn — three dehī — the embodied deha — the body samudbhavān — produced of janma — of birth mṛtyu — death jarā — and old age duḥkhaiḥ — the distresses vimuktaḥ — being freed from amṛtam — nectar aśnute — he enjoys .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guṇān etān atītya trīn
guṇān
qualities
etān
all these
atītya
transcending
trīn
three
dehī deha-samudbhavān
dehī
the embodied
deha
the body
samudbhavān
produced of
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair
janma
of birth
mṛtyu
death
jarā
and old age
duḥkhaiḥ
the distresses
vimukto ’mṛtam aśnute
vimuktaḥ
being freed from
amṛtam
nectar
aśnute
he enjoys .
Important Words
  • guṇān etān atītya — transcending these qualities
    Ati-i — to go across, to step beyond. The chapter's central verb. Not to manage the modes, not to perfect one of them, but to ati-i — to cross over. Note the plural: all three, not one or two.
  • deha-samudbhavān — produced of the body
    Sam-ud-bhava — emerging from. The verse insists the modes arise from embodiment, not from the soul. Once that origin is grasped, transcending them stops feeling like betraying oneself. They were never one's own.
  • vimuktaḥ — fully freed
    Vi-muc — to release thoroughly. The vi- prefix gives the verb its completeness: not freed from one thing but from the four named (birth, death, old age, distress). Released across the board.
  • amṛtam aśnute — he enjoys nectar
    Amṛta — non-death, immortal nectar. Aśnute — he eats, he tastes. Note the present tense: even in this life. The verse promises tasting amṛta now, not only post-mortem. The chapter's mode-vigilance has a positive payoff and the payoff is immediate.
When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Crossing beyond all three modes — yes, even sattva — the embodied jīva slips out from under birth, death, and aging, and tastes amṛta here itself. Liberation is not posthumous policy; it is a present, edible nectar for the guṇātīta.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Climaxes the diagnostic arc and triggers Arjuna's question in 14.21. 'Atītya' (having transcended) underscores that all three guṇas must be left behind, including sattva — a key advaita-bhakti convergence point. 'Amṛtam aśnute' (present tense) emphasizes jīvanmukti, freedom while embodied. Cross-ref BG 2.15 ('amṛtatvāya kalpate'), 5.21 ('akṣayaṁ sukham aśnute'), and Kaṭha 1.3.15.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
देही एतान् त्रीन् देह-समुद्भवान् गुणान् अतीत्य जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-दुःखैः विमुक्तः अमृतम् अश्नुते ।
dehī etān trīn deha-samudbhavān guṇān atītya janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ vimuktaḥ amṛtam aśnute |
Having transcended these three guṇas which arise with the body, the embodied one, freed from the sorrows of birth, death and old age, enjoys nectar (immortality).
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
गुणान् एतान् अतीत्य त्रीन् देही देह-समुद्भवान् । जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-दुःखैः विमुक्तः अमृतम् अश्नुते ॥
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān | janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ vimuktaḥ amṛtam aśnute ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
गुणान् guṇān गुण (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural), 'the guṇas' the guṇas
एतान् etān dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m., 'these' these
अतीत्य atītya अति+√इ abs. (absolutive), 'having crossed beyond' having transcended
त्रीन् trīn त्रि (num.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m., 'three' three
देही dehī देहिन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'the embodied one' the embodied one
देह-समुद्भवान् deha-samudbhavān देह (m./n.) + समुद्भव (adj.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m., upapada cpd. (compound), 'arisen with the body' body-born
जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-दुःखैः janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhaiḥ जन्मन् (n.) + मृत्यु (m.) + जरा (f.) + दुःख (n.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural), dvandva + tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound), 'by the sorrows of birth, death, old age' by birth, death, old-age sorrows
विमुक्तः vimuktaḥ वि+√मुच् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., 'fully released' freed
अमृतम् amṛtam अमृत (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), 'nectar, immortality' immortality
अश्नुते aśnute √अश् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice), 'enjoys, attains' enjoys
Purport

How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehī means “embodied.” Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. Surpassing the three guṇas which give rise to the body, free from the suffering of birth, death and old age, one attains eternal life.
Commentary

That person is beyond the guṇas. That is explained in this verse.

arjuna uvaca

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. Surpassing the three guṇas which give rise to the body, free from the suffering of birth, death and old age, one attains eternal life.
Commentary

The Lord clarifies the meaning of His previous statement about attaining mad bhāvam. Though the ātmā is situated in the body, by the power of distinguishing jīva from the guṇas, he overcomes the three guṇas which give rise to the body (deha samudbhavān) and, freed from birth, death, old age and suffering, experiences the ātmā (amṛtam). Thus mad bhāvam of the previous verse can mean “beyond saṁsāra” in the sense of being deathless (amṛtam), or “becoming qualified for My pure bhakti.” The verse brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā explains this: having attained the state of brahman, being a pure soul, he does not lament in loss of what he has or desire for he does not have, and looks upon all beings as equal; he then attains prema bhakti. (BG 18.54)

a

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Then Arjuna inquires,

[2. Arjuna inquires about the symptoms of one who has transcend the modes and the means that one can transcend. Krsna answers that one who has transcended sees the modes working and remains unwaveringly fixed in the self despite the presence of attachment, illusion, illumination, happiness, distress, praise, infamy, friends, or enemies. (21‑25) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Result of realizing this knowledge i.e. the result of transcending the modes

One becomes liberated (freedom from distress)
Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is a sign of liberation from material entanglement (Ref BG Chapter 18)
One can relish nectar even in this life (Enjoys life on spiritual platform)
Text 14.20 explains how to relish transcendental position even in this body
“Dehi” – Indicates that even within the material body, by advancement in spiritual knowledge, one can be free from the modes of material nature
One can enjoy happiness of spiritual life even in this body
Till one goes to spiritual sky, where there is full happiness available

PLEASE NOTE:

Points of Purport 14.20 have already been included in the subpoints under the Theme above, therefore there is no

Focus of learning section for this verse

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.20 Atitya, having transcended, having gone beyond-even while living; etan, these; trin, three; gunan, alities as have been described, which constitute the limiting adjunct Maya; and dehasamudbhavan, which are the origin of the body, which are the seed of the birth of the body; dehi, the embodied one, the enlightened one; vimuktah, becoming free-even in this life; janma-mrtyu-jara-duhkhaih, from birth death, old age and sorrow; asnute, experiences; [Some translate this as 'attains'.-Tr.] amrtam, Immortality. In this way he attains My nature. This is the idea. Getting a clue to a estion from the statement that one experiences Immortality, even in this life, by going beyond the alities-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.20 The embodied self - 'crossing beyond these three Gunas,' the Sattva and the rest, which 'arise in the body,' i.e., spring from Prakrti transformed into the form of the body - perceives the self as different from the Gunas and as of the form of knowledge only. Released thus from birth, death, old age and sorrow, It experiences the immortal self. This is what is meant by My likeness. Arjuna now wants to know about the characteristics of one who has transcended the Gunas and the means of such transcendence:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.16-20 Karmanah etc. upto asnute. Here, there are certain unconnected verses that have been concocted. They are of the nature of repetition, and hence they have to be necessarily rejected. A mode of life transcending these Strands turn to be nothing but emancipation.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.20 The embodied one having crossed beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.
Commentary

14.20 गुणान् Gunas? एतान् these? अतीत्य having crossed? त्रीन् three? देही the embodied? देहसमुद्भवान् out of which the body is evolved? जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैः from birth? death? decay and pain? विमुक्तः freed? अमृतम् immortality? अश्नुते attains to.Commentary Just as a river is absorbed in the ocean? so also he who has? while still alive? gone beyond the alities which form the seed from which all bodies have sprung and of which they are composed? is absorbed in Me. He ever enjoys the bliss of the Eternal. He attains release or Moksha. He attains to My Being.When the Lord said that the wise man crosses beyond the three alities and attains immortality? Arjuna became inspired with the desire of learning more about it. Just as he has asked a estion about the sage of steady wisdom in chapter II? verse 54? he now asks Lord Krishna about the characteristics of a sage who has crossed over the three alities. How does he act What is his conduct or behaviour How has he gone beyond the alities

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.20 Having transcended these three alities which are the origin of the body, the embodied one, becoming free from birth, death, old age and sorrows, experiences Immortality.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.20 When the soul transcends the Qualities, which are the real cause of physical existence, then, freed from birth and death, from old age and misery, he quaffs the nectar of immortality.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.15 BG 5.24 BG 6.27 SB 11.25.32 SB 3.25.25 SB 1.2.21 CC Madhya 25.23 CC Madhya 19.176 CC Madhya 22.122 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.14Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.9
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Transcending the three modes which bind the body, the soul, free from birth, death, old age, and misery — attains the Supreme.
Practical Applications
  • Aim for transcendence, not just balance among the modes.
  • Cultivate the path that leads beyond.
  • Treat full liberation as the actual goal.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I been satisfied with mode-balance instead of transcendence?
  • What does full transcendence call for?
Analogy

A bird that has lived in three nested cages all its life — sattvic, rajasic, tamasic — and one day finds the doors of all three open at once. To step out of all three is transcendence. Stepping merely from the tamasic cage into the sattvic one is not.

Stories
Śukadeva from birth

Born already realized, Śukadeva walked out of his father Vyāsa's hermitage as a naked sixteen-year-old, undisturbed by hunger, weather, mockery, or honor. He had not transcended one mode by means of another; he had stepped out of the modes altogether at the start.

When he arrived at King Parīkṣit's gathering on the Ganges, the assembly rose because the body in front of them was no longer a body in the ordinary sense — it was guṇa-atīta, the verse made flesh. The amṛta the verse promises was the only thing he ate.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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