Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 16

Chapter 2/Verse 16

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥२- १६॥

nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ ।
ubhayorapi dṛṣṭo'ntastvanayostattvadarśibhiḥ ॥2- 16॥

Of non-existence being is not found. Also of existence non-being is not found. But of both of these the boundary is seen by the seers of nature.  


Word-for-word translation

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

asatas (genitive, singular) = of non-existence 

vidyate (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = it is found

bhāvas (nominative, singular) = being

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not

abhāvas (nominative, singular) = non-being

vidyate (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = it is found

satas (genitive, singular) = of existence 


ubhayos (genitive, dual) = of both

api (conjunction) (indeclinable) = also

dṛṣṭas (past-passive participle) = seen

antas (nominative, singular) = the boundary 

tu (conjunction) (indeclinable) = but

anayos (pronoun, 3rd person, genitive, dual) = of these two

tattvadarśibhis (tattva + darśibhis) (compound) (instrumental, plural) = by the seers of nature. 


Commentary

The word "tattva" is hard to define in English. The English word definitions of "tattva" are "nature", "reality", "truth", "the real state", etc. 

The verse is also a good example of a Sanskrit passive sentence. 

This verse also brings forth the Bhagavad Gita's philosophical stance of being and non-being within existence and non-existence.