FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 14.2

ఇదం జ్ఞానముపాశ్రిత్య మమ సాధర్మ్యమాగతా: । సర్గేఽపి నోపజాయన్తే ప్రలయే న వ్యథన్తి చ ॥ ౨ ॥
idaṁ jñānam upāśritya
[idam jnaanam upaashritya]
mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
[mama saadharmyam aagataah]
sarge ’pi nopajāyante
[sarge ’pi nopajaayante]
pralaye na vyathanti ca
[pralaye na vyathanti cha]
idam — this jñānam — knowledge upāśritya — taking shelter of mama — My sādharmyam — same nature āgatāḥ — having attained sarge api — even in the creation na — never upajāyante — are born pralaye — in the annihilation na — nor vyathanti — are disturbed ca — also .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
idaṁ jñānam upāśritya
idam
this
jñānam
knowledge
upāśritya
taking shelter of
mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
mama
My
sādharmyam
same nature
āgatāḥ
having attained
sarge ’pi nopajāyante
sarge api
even in the creation
pralaye na vyathanti ca
na
never
upajāyante
are born
pralaye
in the annihilation
na
nor
vyathanti
are disturbed
ca
also .
  • upāśritya — taking shelter of
    Upa-ā-śri — not merely understanding, but taking shelter. The verb shares its root with śaraṇa. Knowledge here is a refuge one moves into, not a fact one stores. The whole verse hinges on this verb: the result follows because one took shelter.
  • sādharmyam — same nature, same quality
    Sa-dharma-tā — sharing the Lord's dharma. Not equality of position (the Vaiṣṇava reading guards against that) but qualitative likeness: the soul, like Kṛṣṇa, becomes untouched by creation and dissolution. Gauḍīya commentary reads this as the eternal svarūpa awakening.
  • upajāyante — are born
    Negated in the verse — na upajāyante, are not born. The verb is precise: upa-jan, to be born up. Even at the next sarga, when the cosmic out-breath reissues every conditioned soul, the knower of this knowledge is not reissued. He has slipped the recycling.
  • vyathanti — are disturbed
    Vyath — to tremble, to be agitated. At cosmic dissolution every other being trembles back into avyakta. The verse negates the verb: na vyathanti. The knower is already grounded in a substance pralaya cannot reach to shake.
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution.

After acquiring perfect transcendental knowledge, one acquires qualitative equality with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, becoming free from the repetition of birth and death. One does not, however, lose his identity as an individual soul. It is understood from Vedic literature that the liberated souls who have reached the transcendental planets of the spiritual sky always look to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, being engaged in His transcendental loving service. So, even after liberation, the devotees do not lose their individual identities. Generally, in the material world, whatever knowledge we get is contaminated by the three modes of material nature. Knowledge which is not contaminated by the three modes of nature is called transcendental knowledge. As soon as one is situated in that transcendental knowledge, he is on the same platform as the Supreme Person. Those who have no knowledge of the spiritual sky hold that after being freed from the material activities of the material form, this spiritual identity becomes formless, without any variegatedness. However, just as there is material variegatedness in this world, in the spiritual world there is also variegatedness. Those in ignorance of this think that spiritual existence is opposed to material variety. But actually, in the spiritual sky, one attains a spiritual form. There are spiritual activities, and the spiritual situation is called devotional life. That atmosphere is said to be uncontaminated, and there one is equal in quality with the Supreme Lord. To obtain such knowledge, one must develop all the spiritual qualities. One who thus develops the spiritual qualities is not affected either by the creation or by the destruction of the material world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
2. Those who, taking shelter of this knowledge, have attained a form like Mine, do not attain rebirth in this world, and do not experience pain at the time of death.
Commentary

He who has taken shelter of this knowledge and attained liberation in the form of sārūpya, similarity of form with Mine (sādharmyam), does not experience pain at the time of death. The form vyathayanti is used instead of vyathayante (ātmanepada).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
2. Those who, taking shelter of this knowledge, have attained similar qualities to Mine, do not take rebirth in this world, and do not experience pain at the time of death.
Commentary

Attaining this knowledge which I will describe, through service to guru (upāśrtiya), people have attained eight qualities appearing through practice, which are similar to My eight qualities (sādharmyam). In Me, the Lord of all, these eight qualities are eternally manifest. These persons are not subject to the karma of taking birth or dying (sarge, pralaye). Devoid of birth and death, they are liberated. The Lord states that many have attained this liberation. This is understood from the śrutis which say tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ: the devotees always see the supreme form of Viṣṇu. (Ṛg Veda 1.22.20, Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad)

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna is going to explain this entanglement, how the soul got encased in this material nature.

[2. Krsna is the father of all living entities, for He impregnates them within the material energy (Brahman, the maha‑tattva, the 24 elements). The living entities then become conditioned by that material energy which consists of the three modes of material nature. (3‑5) ]

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

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa states that we attain this knowledge by worshiping the feet of our

spiritual master.

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.2 Agatah, those who attain; mama sadharmyam, identity with Me the supreme God, unity with My real nature-sadharmyam, however, does not mean similarity of attributes, for, in the scripture Gita, distinction between the Knower of the field and God is not admitted; and this statement of the result is by way of eulogy-; upasritya, by resorting to i.e. by following; idam, this; jnanam, Knowledge as described, i.e., by following the means to Knowledge; na, are not; upajayante, born, produced; api, even; sarge, during creation; nor do they vyathanti, suffer pain, i.e. they do not perish; pralaye, during dissolution, when even Brahma perishes. The Lord says that association of this kind between the field and the Knower of the field is the origin of all beings:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.2 They, 'resorting to this knowledge' which will be expounded later, come to partake of My nature, and they attain My status. 'They are not born at the time of creation,' they are not subjected to the process of creation, and they 'suffer not at the time of dissolution,' i.e. they are not subjected to the distress involved in dissolution of the universe. In order to show how the Gunas of Prakrti constitute the cause of bondage, Sri Krsna now declares that, the aggregation of beings, born from the conjunction of Purusa and Prakrti as stated already in the passages, 'Whatever being is born' (13.26), is brought about by the Lord Himself:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.2 Idam etc. Vyathanti : The suffix tip (Personal Termination, Third person, Singular) is due to Vedism. The same may be stated in other [similar] instances of the suffixes of Case Terminations and Personal Terminations. Now to begin with, [the Bhagavat] speaks of the seence in the cycle of birth and death. For, if what is to be abandoned is understood along with its cause then it is easy to abandon that -
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.2 They who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained to unity with Me, are neither born at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.
Commentary

14.2 इदम् this? ज्ञानम् knowledge? उपाश्रित्य having taken refuge in? मम My? साधर्म्यम् unity? आगताः have attained to? सर्गे at the time of creation? अपि also? न not? उपजायन्ते are born? प्रलये at the time of dissolution? न not? व्यथन्ति are (they) disturbed? च and.Commentary Having resorted to this knowledge they (the sages) are assimilated into My own nature. They have attained to My Being. They have become identical with Me. They live in Me with no thought of thou or I. They go beyond birth and death. There is no birth for them when creation begins and there is no death for them at the time of dissolution. Having reached Me they attain eternity? immortality and perfection. Having become identical with Me through the attainment of the knowledge of the Self by practising the necessary means? they are neither born at the time of creation nor are they disited at the time of dissolution. Knowledge of the Self is eulogised by the Lord in this verse.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.2 Those who attain identity with Me by resorting of this Knowledge are not born even during creation, nor do they suffer pain during dissolution.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.2 Dwelling in Wisdom and realising My Divinity, they are not born again when the universe is re-created at the beginning of every cycle, nor are they affected when it is dissolved.
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 4.9 BG 8.15 BG 15.6 SB 2.9.33 SB 3.25.27 SB 11.14.14 CC Madhya 20.108 CC Madhya 24.138 CC Ādi 5.44 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.9Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.11
Concepts
Dharma
Becoming fixed in this knowledge, those who attain transcendental nature like My own — are not born even at creation, nor disturbed at dissolution.
Practical Applications
  • Aim for the knowledge that places you beyond creation/dissolution cycles.
  • Trust that real knowledge has cosmic protective effect.
  • Don't reduce 'liberation' to inner peace alone.
Reflection Questions
  • What would 'beyond creation/dissolution' actually mean for my present?
  • What practice approaches it?

A drop of water flung into a hot pan vanishes; the same drop returned to the ocean keeps its nature and its place. Knowledge that fixes the soul in Kṛṣṇa's own quality is the return to the ocean — creation cannot burn it off, dissolution cannot evaporate it.

Nārada across the kalpas

Nārada Muni narrates his own story in the Bhāgavatam: in a previous kalpa, he was the son of a maidservant; by hearing from sages and serving them, he attained pure knowledge and devotion.

When that universe was wound up in dissolution, Nārada was not unwound with it. He entered the body of Nārāyaṇa, and at the next creation re-emerged as the same Nārada — same character, same name, same mission. Sādharmya with the Lord meant he was untouched by both pralaya and sarga.

📝 My note

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