 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Chapter 2. Contents of
the Gita Summarized
TEXT 19 ya enam vetti hantaram
SYNONYMS  yah--anyone;
enam--this;
vetti--knows; hantaram--the killer; yah--anyone;
ca--also;
enam--this; manyate--thinks; hatam--killed;
ubhau--both
of them; tau--they; na--never; vijanitah--in knowledge;
na--never; ayam--this; hanti--kills; na--nor;
hanyate--be
killed.
TRANSLATION He who thinks
that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain, does not understand.
One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain.
PURPORT When an embodied
living entity is hurt by fatal weapons, it is to be known that the living
entity within the body is not killed. The spirit soul is so small that
it is impossible to kill him by any material weapon, as is evident from
the previous verses. Nor is the living entity killable, because of his
spiritual constitution. What is killed, or is supposed to be killed, is
the body only. This, however, does not at all encourage killing of the
body. The Vedic injunction is, "mahimsyat sarva bhutani," never
commit violence to anyone. Nor does understanding that the living entity
is not killed encourage animal slaughter. Killing the body of anyone without
authority is abominable and is punishable by the law of the state as well
as by the law of the Lord. Arjuna, however, is being engaged in killing
for the principle of religion, and not whimsically.
|
