Clarity — Lesson 4

The real never ceases; the unreal never truly exists (Gita 2.16)

Verse

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ २.१६ ॥

Transliteration

nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ
ubhayor api dṛṣṭo'ntas tv anayos tattva-darśibhiḥ

Meaning

The unreal never truly exists, and the real never ceases to exist. The truth about both has been clearly understood by those who see reality as it is.

Sandhi-vigraha

न असतः विद्यते भावः । न अभावः विद्यते सतः ।
उभयोः अपि दृष्टः अन्तः तु अनयोः तत्त्व-दर्शिभिः ॥

Anvaya

असतः भावः न विद्यते । सतः अभावः न विद्यते ।
अनयोः उभयोः अपि अन्तः तत्त्व-दर्शिभिः दृष्टः ।

Key Words

asataḥ — of the unreal
bhāvaḥ — existence
sataḥ — of the real
abhāvaḥ — non-existence
tattva-darśibhiḥ — by those who see the truth
dṛṣṭaḥ antaḥ — the conclusion is seen

Teaching

Krishna now gives a fundamental principle.

What is real never goes out of existence. What is unreal never truly comes into existence.

The body appears and disappears. Therefore, it does not have absolute reality.

The Self never disappears. Therefore, it is real.

Wise people clearly see this difference.

Connection to Clarity

Clarity is not about collecting information. It is about seeing correctly.

We usually take changing things as absolutely real, and ignore what is always present.

This verse teaches us to distinguish:
What is temporary?
What is always present?

That discrimination is the beginning of true knowledge.

Reflection

In my experience, what keeps changing?

Is there something that does not come and go, but is always present?