Verse 2.19
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्। उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaś cainaṁ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
Word-by-Word Meanings
hantāram-the killer
hatam-killed
na vijānītaḥ-do not know
na hanti-does not kill
na hanyate-is not killed
Translation
One who thinks that the Self kills and one who thinks it is killed - both are ignorant. The Self neither kills nor is killed.
Commentary
This verse echoes the Katha Upanishad (1.2.19). The Self, being beyond action and change, cannot be the agent of killing or the object of being killed. This dissolves Arjuna's guilt - in the ultimate analysis, no one truly kills or dies.
Themes
atmanjnana