The Individual self - Gita 2.12

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Bhagavad Gita 2.12

na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ
na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ
sarve vayam ataḥ param

Translation

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

Notes

• “The Vedas”, are a category of hundreds of books written to guide the human through life, worship, work, progress, death and liberation. The Vedas also philosophize on the self, God, the universe and paths to self realization.

• One such philosophy derived from the Vedas is the Māyāvādī theory that after liberation the individual soul, separated by the covering of māyā, or illusion, will merge into the impersonal transcendent being, known as Brahman, and lose its individual existence.

• This theory is not supported by Lord Kṛṣṇa in this verse. Krishna is the supreme authority and clearly says that in the future also the individuality of Himself and others, as it is confirmed in other Vedas, will continue eternally.

• By Krishna saying that every being is an individual, and that he, Krishna, is the authority to speak Bhagavad-gītā, then Krishna is indirectly saying that he is not a troubled, confused soul like Arjuna. As if he was, the Bhagavad-Gita would have no authority.

• The mysticism of the Bhagavad-gītā can be understood only by sincere spiritualists, as it is stated in the Fourth Chapter of the book. Nor can the Bhagavad-gītā be touched by persons who envy the very existence of an individual God. Therefore, the Māyāvādī explanation of the Gītā is a misleading presentation of the whole truth.