Bhagavad-gītā 2.24

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च ।
नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ॥२४॥

acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam
akledyo 'śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ

Word for word (synonyms)

acchedyaḥ
unbreakable
ayam
this soul
adāhyaḥ
cannot be burned
ayam
this soul
akledyaḥ
insoluble
aśoṣyaḥ
cannot be dried
eva
certainly
ca
and
nityaḥ
everlasting
sarva-gataḥ
all-pervading
sthāṇuḥ
unchangeable
acalaḥ
immovable
ayam
this soul
sanātanaḥ
eternally the same

Translation

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

Purport

All these qualifications of the atomic soul definitely prove that the individual soul is eternally the atomic particle of the spirit whole, and he remains the same atom eternally, without change. The theory of monism is very difficult to apply in this case, because the individual soul is never expected to become one homogeneously. After liberation from material contamination, the atomic soul may prefer to remain as a spiritual spark in the effulgent rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the intelligent souls enter into the spiritual planets to associate with the Personality of Godhead.

The word sarva-gataḥ (all-pervading) is significant because there is no doubt that living entities are all over God's creation. They live on the land, in the water, in the air, within the earth and even within fire. The belief that they are sterilized in fire is not acceptable, because it is clearly stated here that the soul cannot be burned by fire. Therefore, there is no doubt that there are living entities also in the sun planet with suitable bodies to live there. If the sun globe is uninhabited, then the word sarva-gataḥ—living everywhere—becomes meaningless.

What this verse teaches

The qualities of the eternal soul

In thematic compilations 1

Soul and Transmigration

  • For more characteristics of the soul see 2.16-25 in the overview section.
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 3

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.