Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 24 (BG 13.24) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

13.24 यः who? एवम् thus? वेत्ति knows? पुरुषम् Purusha? प्रकृतिम् Prakriti? च and? गुणैः alities? सह with? सर्वथा in all ways? वर्तमानः living? अपि also? न not? सः he? भूयः again? अभिजायते is born.Commentary One who knows the Soul and Nature with its alities? whatever his conduct may be? frees himself from the cycle of births and deaths. Such is the advantage he gains from the discriminative knowledge of Spirit and Matter. He knows that he is eternal and changeless and that all changes are due to the modifications of Nature on account of its alities. The self through ignorance identifies itself with the body and suffers rirth.In whatsoever condition he may be? whether he is engaged in prescribed or forbidden acts (like Indra who killed the Purohita Visvarupa and many Sannyasins)? he is not born again? because the,actions (which are the seeds of rirth)? of one who knows the Spirit and Matter? who has gained the knowledge of the Self? are burnt by the fire of that knowledge. Just as the seeds that are fried in fire do not sprout again? so also the actions burnt in the fire of knowledge cannot produce new bodies or further births. In his case they are Karmabhasa (mere semblance of Karma). They are not effective causes and cannot produce further births. A burnt cloth cannot serve the purpose of the cloth.Those actions which are done with egoism and desire (expectation of fruits) will produce fruits or results. In the case of a wise man? the seeds of evil? viz.? ignorance? egoism? attachment? etc.? are burnt by the fire of knowledge. Therefore he cannot have rirths.The Karmas (Prarabdha) which have already started their operation by producing this present birth do not perish? notwithstanding the dawn of the knowledge of the Self. When an arrow is once sent out from a bow at a mark? it pierces the mark and continues to act till it falls to the ground when the full force with which it was dischared is exhausted. Even so the Prarabdha Karma which has given rise to the body continues to act till the inherent force is fully exhausted? although the sage has attained Selfrealisation through his body. But he is not in the least affected by this? because he has no identification with the body? and as he has identified himelf with Brahman or the Absolute. If a carbuncle or cancer arises in the body on account of Prarabdha Karma? he will not suffer a bit as he has risen above bodyconsciousness? and as he stands as a witness of his body. But a bystander or a spectator wrongly imagines that the liberated sage is also suffering like an ordinary worldly man. This is a serious and sad mistake. From the viewpoint of the liberated sage he has neither body nor Prarabdha Karma.An arrow that is placed ready on the bow but not discharged with force can be withdrawn. Similarly? the Karmas which have not begun to generate their fruits or effects can be neutralised or destroyed by the knowledge of the Self. Therefore it is proper to say that the liberated sage is not born again. He will not take another body when the body through which he attained knowledge perishes. As ignorance? the cause of this body? is destroyed by the knowledge of the Self? birth? the effect of ignorance? is also destroyed. As one takes birth through virtuous and vicious actions? a sage will not take birth as his virtuous and visiouc actions (the whole Sanchita or accumulated Karmas of his previous births) are destroyed by the knowledge of the Self. The Karmas done by him after he has attained Selfrealisation cannot touch him at all as he has neither egoism (agency) nor desires. (Cf.XIII.32)

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

# BG 13.24 The summary of all that has been discussed thus far is this: The Purusha, though eternally liberated by nature, becomes bound as a jiva and experiences the sorrows of the world through identification with Prakriti. Due to this very identification, the desires that arise compel the soul to take birth in various wombs according to its nature. However, the seeker who, through disciplined practice and the teachings of the Teacher, comes to know in truth the Purusha, Prakriti, their mutual relationship, and the manifold qualities of Prakriti that produce all effects—such a one is truly the wise person who becomes forever liberated from the bondage of the world. To know anything fully, we must stand apart from it. If we ourselves are entangled in a situation, we cannot study it objectively. Therefore, to understand the modifications of Prakriti (the body and so forth) and its qualities (pleasure, pain, and the like), we must become the witness of all these and remain established in that witnessing. Only then can we realize the Supreme Self, the foundation of all existence. To know this infinite Brahman as one's own true nature is to destroy ignorance itself. For such a person of complete knowledge, there remains no cause for false identification with Prakriti. Therefore, the Blessed Lord says here: Even while living in all ways, such a one is not born again. This means that the wise person, though acting in the world, does not generate new desires as ordinary people do, and thus does not fall into bondage—for the ego has been entirely destroyed. One who knows Brahman becomes Brahman itself, and all actions are dissolved. This is the truth proclaimed by all the Upanishads. Now, the Teacher reveals many means for the vision of the Self.