Bhagavad Gita 2.19
Spoken by Krishna ★ Essential verse · Verse 19 of 72
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्। उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते॥
ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaś cainaṃ manyate hatam / ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate
The soul does not slay, and cannot be slain — both the slayer and the slain have mistaken the soul for the body.
Word by word (4)
- yaḥ enam vetti hantāram
- — one who thinks this (the soul) is the slayer
- yaḥ ca enam manyate hatam
- — and one who thinks this (the soul) is slain
- ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ
- — both of them do not know · Both the one who thinks they kill and the one who thinks they are killed — neither has knowledge. Both are operating from a misidentification of the self with the body.
- na ayam hanti na hanyate
- — this one does not slay and is not slain · The soul does not kill and cannot be killed. The action of killing (or being killed) happens at the level of bodies, not souls. The deepest teaching of the Atman's nature in one short line.
'One who thinks the soul is the slayer — and one who thinks the soul is slain — both of them fail to understand. The soul does not slay. The soul is not slain.'
A modern analogy
A character in a film can be 'killed' in the film. The actor playing the character is not harmed. The film itself — the light on the screen — is not harmed. Arjuna, like the rest of us, has been confusing himself (the actor, the awareness) with the character (the body, the role). Krishna is saying: you are the awareness. Not the character.
Take with you
- Both views — 'I can kill someone' and 'I can be killed' — apply to bodies, not to souls. The soul is the witness, not the combatant.
- This teaching dissolves the basis of Arjuna's grief: he feared killing souls. But souls cannot be killed.
- The challenge: this teaching could be misused to justify harm. Krishna immediately contextualizes it with duty and righteous action — the soul's immortality does not make all action equivalent.
Public-domain translations (5) compare all →
He who thinks it the slayer, and he who thinks it the slain — both fail to understand. It does not slay, nor is it slain. [1]
He who takes the soul to be the slayer and he who thinks it is slain — both of them fail to perceive the truth. This neither slays, nor is it slain. [4]
He who thinks that this (the self) is a slayer, and he who thinks that it is slain — both of them are without discernment; for it slays not, nor is it slain. [6]
Who thinks that this can slay, and who thinks that this is slain, Both know naught! Life cannot slay. Life is not slain! [7]
He who thinks that this is a slayer, and he who thinks it is slain — both of these know nothing. It does not slay, nor is it slain. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Unborn. Undying. Ancient. Eternal. Not slain when the body is slain — this is what you are.
All actions are done by the gunas of nature. The ego-deluded one thinks 'I am the doer' — this is the root of bondage.
A blind king asks what happened on the battlefield — and the Gita begins.
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for — and call it wisdom.
That which pervades everything cannot be destroyed — nothing and no one has the power to end it.
You've changed your clothes a thousand times — this is all that death is.
Verse 19 of 72 · back to Chapter 2