Bhagavad Gita BG 2.21
Chapter 2, Verse 21 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् । कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ २१ ॥
vedāvināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enam ajam avyayam kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam
Meaning
O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable — how can such a person kill anyone or cause anyone to be killed?
Understanding
Having established the soul's nature, Krishna draws the logical conclusion with a rhetorical question: if you truly know the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable — how can you kill anyone? 'Kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam' — whom does he cause to be killed, whom does he kill? The question points to the impossibility: one who has genuine knowledge of the soul's nature cannot be considered a killer, because the soul cannot be killed.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| वेद | veda | knows / understands |
| अविनाशिनम् | avināśinam | the indestructible |
| अजम् | ajam | the unborn |
| अव्ययम् | avyayam | the immutable / inexhaustible |
| कथम् | katham | how / in what way |
| घातयति | ghātayati | causes to be killed / has others kill |
| हन्ति | hanti | kills / slays |
| यः | yaḥ | he who / one who |
| एनम् | enam | this (soul) |
| नित्यम् | nityam | eternal / everlasting |
| सः | saḥ | he / that person |
| पुरुषः | puruṣaḥ | the person / the man |
| पार्थ | pārtha | O Partha (Arjuna) |
| कम् | kam | whom / anyone |