न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ १२ ॥
na tvevāhaṃ jātu nāsaṃ na tvaṃ neme janādhipāḥ .
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayamataḥ param .. 12 ..
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Never did I cease to exist; on the other hand, I always did exist; that is, through the past bodily births and deaths, I always existed. So always, never did you cease to exist; on the other hand, you always did exist. So, never did these rulers of men cease to exist; on the other hand, they always did exist. So, neither shall we ever cease to exist; on the other hand, we shall all certainly continue to exist even after the death of these bodies. As the Self, the Atman, we are eternal in all the three periods of time (past, present and future.)
The plural ‘us’ is used with reference to the bodies that are different; it does not mean that there are more than one Self.
(Question) :—Now, how is the Self eternal?
(Answer) :—Here follows an illustration :
- * Referring to what Arjuna said in i. 43 et seq.—(A.)