2.24 achchEdhyO ’yam adhAhyO ’yam

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Chapter 2

<< Chapter 2 verse 23

SlOkam – Original

achchEdhyO ’yam adhAhyO ’yam aklEdhyO ’Soshya Eva cha |
nithya: sarva-gatha: sthANur achalO ’yam sanAthana: ||

word-by-word meaning

ayam – this AthmA
achchEdhya: – cannot be cut;
ayam – he
adhAhya: (cha) – also cannot be burnt;
aklEdhya: (cha) – also cannot be dissolved;
aSOshya: Eva cha – also cannot be withered;
ayam – this AthmA
sarvagatha: – pervaded in all achEthana (insentient entities)
nithya: – eternal (due to that reason)
sthANu: – firmly fixed
achala: – cannot be moved
sanAthana: – ancient

Simple Translation

This AthmA cannot be cut, burnt, dissolved and withered; he has pervaded in all insentient entities, eternal, firmly fixed, cannot be moved and ancient.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘Invulnerable is this, incombustible is this; never is this moistened nor is dried up; this is eternal, all-pervading, fixed, motionless and ancient.’

Weapons have no power to cut (or inflict wounds on), nor fire power to consume, nor water to wet, nor air to dry, this (ātmā). Ātmā being capable of pervading all i.e., being of a nature to interpenetrate all substances, it is subtler than any substance, and no substance can penetrate it. The effects, cleaving, burning, soaking, drying etc., take place by the agents (weapons etc.), penetrating the things which become subject to their operation. Hence ātmā is essentially fixed (sthāṇu) i.e., of permanent nature; it is motionless (achala), i.e., imperturbable (a-prakampya). It is sanātana=purātana=ancient, primitive.

>> Chapter 2 verse 25

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