idaḿ jñānam upāśritya
mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge ’pi nopajāyante
pralaye na vyathanti ca
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 14.2
By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
After acquiring perfect transcendental knowledge, one acquires qualitative equality with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, becoming free from the repetition of birth and death. One does not, however, lose his identity as an individual soul. It is understood from Vedic literature that the liberated souls who have reached the transcendental planets of the spiritual sky always look to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, being engaged in His transcendental loving service. So, even after liberation, the devotees do not lose their individual identities.
Generally, in the material world, whatever knowledge we get is contaminated by the three modes of material nature. Knowledge which is not contaminated by the three modes of nature is called transcendental knowledge. As soon as one is situated in that transcendental knowledge, he is on the same platform as the Supreme Person. Those who have no knowledge of the spiritual sky hold that after being freed from the material activities of the material form, this spiritual identity becomes formless, without any variegatedness.
However, just as there is material variegatedness in this world, in the spiritual world there is also variegatedness. Those in ignorance of this think that spiritual existence is opposed to material variety. But actually, in the spiritual sky, one attains a spiritual form. There are spiritual activities, and the spiritual situation is called devotional life. That atmosphere is said to be uncontaminated, and there one is equal in quality with the Supreme Lord. To obtain such knowledge, one must develop all the spiritual qualities. One who thus develops the spiritual qualities is not affected either by the creation or by the destruction of the material world.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
He who has taken shelter of this knowledge and attained liberation of sarupya, similarity of form with mine (sa dharmyam), does not experience pain at the time of death. The form vyathayanti is used instead of vyathayante (atmanepada).
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
14.2 They, ‘resorting to this knowledge’ which will be expounded later, come to partake of My nature, and they attain My status. ‘They are not born at the time of creation,’ they are not subjected to the process of creation, and they ‘suffer not at the time of dissolution,’ i.e. they are not subjected to the distress involved in dissolution of the universe. In order to show how the Gunas of Prakrti constitute the cause of bondage, Sri Krsna now declares that, the aggregation of beings, born from the conjunction of Purusa and Prakrti as stated already in the passages, ‘Whatever being is born’ (13.26), is brought about by the Lord Himself:
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
By becoming immersed in this wisdom that Lord Krishna is prepared to reveal the jiva or embodied being attains identity with the Supreme Lord and are no longer subject to samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Nor are they born again at the time of universal creation even though Brahma is created; neither do they expire at the time of universal dissolution. They have achieved freedom from the bondage of transmigration.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Elaborating further Lord Krishna explains that those who devoutly embrace this wisdom gain spiritual intelligence and their atma or immortal soul exalts in communion with Him, revealing its quality of eternality like Him. No longer are they forced to except incarceration in a mothers womb even at the time of universal creation when Brahma and others are born. Neither will such a one ever experience the pangs of death even at the time of universal dissolution when all is recycled because they have ascended to the spiritual worlds.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
14.2 Agatah, those who attain; mama sadharmyam, identity with Me the supreme God, unity with My real nature-sadharmyam, however, does not mean similarity of attributes, for, in the scripture Gita, distinction between the Knower of the field and God is not admitted; and this statement of the result is by way of eulogy-; upasritya, by resorting to i.e. by following; idam, this; jnanam, Knowledge as described, i.e., by following the means to Knowledge; na, are not; upajayante, born, produced; api, even; sarge, during creation; nor do they vyathanti, suffer pain, i.e. they do not perish; pralaye, during dissolution, when even Brahma perishes. The Lord says that association of this kind between the field and the Knower of the field is the origin of all beings:
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
14.2 Idam etc. Vyathanti : The suffix tip (Personal Termination, Third person, Singular) is due to Vedism. The same may be stated in other [similar] instances of the suffixes of Case Terminations and Personal Terminations. Now to begin with, [the Bhagavat] speaks of the sequence in the cycle of birth and death. For, if what is to be abandoned is understood along with its cause then it is easy to abandon that –
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
idam jñanam upasritya
mama sadharmyam agatah
sarge ’pi nopajayante
pralaye na vyathanti ca
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
idam — this; jñānam — knowledge; upāśritya — taking shelter of; mama — My; sādharmyam — same nature; āgatāḥ — having attained; sarge api — even in the creation; na — never; upajāyante — are born; pralaye — in the annihilation; na — nor; vyathanti — are disturbed; ca — also.
