2.12
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥
na tv evāhaṃ jātu nāsaṃ na tvaṃ neme janādhipāḥ
na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues, with the first claim about the one who does not pass out of being.
The verse
Never was there a time I was not, nor you, nor these lords of men; and never, from now on, shall all of us not be.
नेपालीमा
म नभएको बेला कहिल्यै थिएन, न तिमी, न यी मानिसका स्वामीहरू। अबदेखि हामी सबै नहुनेछौं भन्ने कुरा पनि कहिल्यै हुनेछैन।
Where it sits
The grief of 2.11 is given an object that does not come from nothing and does not go to nothing: himself, Arjuna, and these kings. The body has not been named yet.
Split: न + तु + एव + अहम् + जातु + न + आसम् + न + त्वम् + न + इमे + जन-अधिपाः + न + च + एव + न + भविष्यामः + सर्वे + वयम् + अतः + परम्
na + tu + eva + aham + jātu + na + āsam + na + tvam + na + ime + jana-adhipāḥ + na + ca + eva + na + bhaviṣyāmaḥ + sarve + vayam + ataḥ + param
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| तु | tu | indeclinable | but. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | indeed. |
| अहम् | aham | nominative | I. |
| जातु | jātu | indeclinable | at any time, ever. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| आसम् | āsam | imperfect, 1st singular of as (अस्) | I was. |
| न | na | indeclinable | nor. |
| त्वम् | tvam | nominative | you. |
| न | na | indeclinable | nor. |
| इमे | ime | nominative plural | these. |
| जन-अधिपाः | jana-adhipāḥ | nominative plural | lords of men. The kings in front of him. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | indeed. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| भविष्यामः | bhaviṣyāmaḥ | future, 1st plural of bhū (भू) | we shall be. |
| सर्वे | sarve | nominative plural | all. |
| वयम् | vayam | nominative | we. |
| अतः | ataḥ | indeclinable | from this, from now. |
| परम् | param | indeclinable here | after, beyond. ataḥ param (अतः परम्) is "hereafter." |
The phrases
na tu eva aham jātu na āsam (न तु एव अहम् जातु न आसम्) is the first double negative. There was never a time I was not. तु + एव tu + eva is tveva (त्वेव), and त्वेव + अहम् tveva + aham is tvevāham (त्वेवाहम्). न + आसम् na + āsam is nāsam (नासम्).
na tvam na ime janādhipāḥ (न त्वम् न इमे जनाधिपाः) extends the same claim. Nor you, nor these lords of men. न + इमे na + ime is neme (नेमे), because अ + इ a + i becomes e (ए).
न च एव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयम् अतः परम् na ca eva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param is the future half. Nor, from now on, shall all of us not be. च + एव ca + eva is caiva (चैव). वयम् + अतः vayam + ataḥ is vayamataḥ (वयमतः). The second na (न) belongs with bhaviṣyāmaḥ (भविष्यामः).
Sanskrit in this line
The verse is two double negatives, and a single na (न) would reverse it. na jātu na āsam (न जातु न आसम्) is "there was never a time I was not." na na bhaviṣyāmaḥ (न न भविष्यामः) is "we shall not not-be." Count the negatives in each half before you translate. āsam (आसम्) is "I was," imperfect of as (अस्). bhaviṣyāmaḥ (भविष्यामः) is "we shall be," future of bhū (भू).
Say it back
The three who never were not, and that all of us will be hereafter. Both negatives in each half.