Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingन जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
Triṣṭubh (u s u u)(!!) irregular in source
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaNever is this One born, nor does It ever die; nor, having come into existence, does It cease to be. This One is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient; It is not killed when the body is killed.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
यह आत्मा किसी काल में भी न जन्मता है और न मरता है और न यह एक बार होकर फिर अभावरूप होने वाला है। यह आत्मा अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत और पुरातन है, शरीर के नाश होने पर भी इसका नाश नहीं होता।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiन जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित् (!!)
नायम् भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः(!!)
अजो नित्यश् शाश्वतोऽ यम् पुराणः (!!)
न हन् यते हन्य माने शरीरे
॥ २० ॥
Pāda meters: Upendravajrā, Śālinī, Upendravajrā, Upendravajrā — I = Indravajrā, u = Upendravajrā, s = Śālinī pāda
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthana jāyateis not born
mriyatedies
vāor
kadāchitat any time
nanot
ayamthis
bhūtvāhaving once existed
bhavitāwill be
vāor
nanot
bhūyaḥfurther
ajaḥunborn
nityaḥeternal
śhāśhvataḥimmortal
ayamthis
purāṇaḥthe ancient
na hanyateis not destroyed
hanyamāneis destroyed
śharīrewhen the body
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA2.20Is the Self ever born — does It ever die?
Never is this One born, nor does It ever die; nor, having come into existence, does It cease to be. This One is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient; It is not killed when the body is killed.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.