Bhagavad Gita BG 2.23
Chapter 2, Verse 23 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः । न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥ २३ ॥
nainaṃ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṃ dahati pāvakaḥ na cainaṃ kledayanti āpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ
Meaning
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can it be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
Understanding
This verse lists the four classical elements — weapon/earth (śastrāṇi), fire (pāvakaḥ), water (āpaḥ), wind/air (mārutaḥ) — and declares that none can touch the soul. The soul is beyond all physical forces. It cannot be cut (na chindanti), burned (na dahati), moistened (na kledayanti), or dried/withered (na śoṣayati). This total immunity from all natural forces is the proof of the soul's transcendent nature. For Arjuna, holding a bow, this is profoundly relevant: his weapons cannot touch what is truly real.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| न छिन्दन्ति | na chindanti | cannot cut / do not cut |
| शस्त्राणि | śastrāṇi | weapons |
| न दहति | na dahati | does not burn |
| पावकः | pāvakaḥ | fire / the purifier |
| न क्लेदयन्ति | na kledayanti | do not moisten / cannot wet |
| आपः | āpaḥ | water |
| न शोषयति | na śoṣayati | does not dry / cannot wither |
| मारुतः | mārutaḥ | wind / air |
| एनम् | enam | it / this (soul — object of each verb) |
| च | ca | nor / and not (conjunction) |