Passages

Bhagavad Gita 2:12

Bhagavad Gita

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "Bhagavad Gita 2:12." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/passages/bhagavad-gita-2-12.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). Bhagavad Gita 2:12. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/passages/bhagavad-gita-2-12

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-bhagavad-gita-2-12,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {Bhagavad Gita 2:12},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/passages/bhagavad-gita-2-12},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Krishna's first argument on the battlefield, and the Gita's opening move: the self is beginningless and endless. Sankara and Ramanuja read the plural here differently, for Sankara it is a concession to appearances, for Ramanuja it means individual selves really are many and remain so.

Facts

Passage

Text

It is not that I have never existed, nor thou, nor these kings. Nor is it that we shall cease to exist in the future. 1

Reference

Bhagavad Gita 2:12 1

Reference Scheme

Chapter and Verse 1

Translation

Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita 1

Translator

Swami Swarupananda 1

Meaning

Theme

the self and death 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Ramanuja

This source names Ramanuja directly: "Sankara and Ramanuja read the plural here differently, for Sankara it is a concession to appearances, for Ramanuja it means individual selves really are many and remain so."

Source Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, English translation and commentarySwami Swarupananda