य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्।
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।।2.19।।
।।2.19।। जो इस आत्मा को मारने वाला समझता है और जो इसको मरा समझता है वे दोनों ही नहीं जानते हैं? क्योंकि यह आत्मा न मरता है और न मारा जाता है।।
Whoever speculates that it is possible by any means to kill the soul and whoever speculates that anyone can be instrumental in killing the soul is factually deficient in actual knowledge. The soul being of an eternal nature can never be destroyed by anything nor can the soul ever destroy anything. The root word hanti meaning to slay connotes an act which connects with the soul; but the action of killing indicates that there is a separation of the soul from the body. Thus the Vedic injunctions: na himsyad bhutani meaning no creature shall be harmed and brahmano na hantavyah that no brahmana shall ever be killed specifically emphasises that it is an act of acute and heinous unrighteousness to cause the separation of any soul from its embodied state unnaturally which happens at the time of death.
