वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्।।2.21।।
।।2.21।।हे पृथानन्दन जो मनुष्य इस शरीरीको अविनाशी नित्य जन्मरहित और अव्यय जानता है वह कैसे किसको मारे और कैसे किसको मरवाये
।।2.21।। हे पार्थ जो पुरुष इस आत्मा को अविनाशी? नित्य और अव्ययस्वरूप जानता है? वह कैसे किसको मरवायेगा और कैसे किसको मारेगा
2.21।। व्याख्या वेदाविनाशिनम् ৷৷. घातयति हन्ति कम् इस शरीरीका कभी नाश नहीं होता इसमें कभी कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होता इसका कभी जन्म नहीं होता और इसमें कभी किसी तरहकी कोई कमी नहीं आती ऐसा जो ठीक अनुभव कर लेता है वह पुरुष कैसे किसको मारे और कैसे किसको मरवाये अर्थात् दूसरोंको मारने और मरवानेमें उस पुरुषकी प्रवृत्ति नहीं हो सकती। वह किसी क्रियाका न तो कर्ता बन सकता है और न कारयिता बन सकता है।यहाँ भगवान्ने शरीरीको अविनाशी नित्य अज और अव्यय कहकर उसमें छहों विकारोंका निषेध किया है जैसे अविनाशी कहकर मृत्युरूप विकारका नित्य कहकर अवस्थान्तर होना और बढ़नारूप विकारका अज कहकर जन्म होना और जन्मके बाद होनेवाली सत्तारूप विकारका तथा अव्यय कहकर क्षयरूप विकारका निषेध किया गया है। शरीरीमें किसी भी क्रियासे किञ्चिन्मात्र भी कोई विकार नहीं होता।अगर भगवान्को न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे और कं घातयति हन्ति कम् इन पदोंमें शरीरीके कर्ता और कर्म बननेका ही निषेध करना था तो फिर यहाँ करनेनकरनेकी बात न कहकर मरनेमारनेकी बात क्यों कही इसका उत्तर है कि युद्धका प्रसङ्ग होनेसे यहाँ यह कहना जरूरी है कि शरीरी युद्धमें मारनेवाला नहीं बनता क्योंकि इसमें कर्तापन नहीं है। जब शरीरी मारनेवाला अर्थात् कर्ता नहीं बन सकता तब यह मरनेवाला अर्थात् क्रियाका विषय (कर्म) भी कैसे बन सकता है। तात्पर्य यह है कि यह शरीरी किसी भी क्रियाका कर्ता और कर्म नहीं बनता। अतः मरनेमारनेमें शोक नहीं करना चाहिये प्रत्युत शास्त्रकी आज्ञाके अनुसार प्राप्त कर्तव्यकर्मका पालन करना चाहिये। सम्बन्ध पूर्वश्लोकोंमें देहीकी निर्विकारताका जो वर्णन हुआ है आगेके श्लोकमें उसीका दृष्टान्तरूपसे वर्णन करते हैं।
।।2.21।। आत्मा की वर्णनात्मक परिभाषा नहीं दी जा सकती परन्तु उसका संकेत नित्य अविनाशी आदि शब्दों के द्वारा किया जा सकता है। यहाँ इस श्लोक में प्रश्नार्थक वाक्य के द्वारा पूर्व श्लोकों में प्रतिपादित सिद्धान्त की ही पुष्टि करते हैं कि जो पुरुष अविनाशी आत्मा को जानता है वह कभी जीवन की वास्तविकताओं का सामना करने में शोकाकुल नहीं होता।आत्मा के अव्ययअविनाशी अजन्मा और शाश्वत स्वरूप को जान लेने पर कौन पुरुष स्वयं पर कर्तृत्व का आरोप कर लेगा भगवान् कहते हैं कि ऐसा पुरुष न किसी को मारता है और न किसी के मरने का कारण बनता है। यहाँ ध्यान देने की बात यह है कि इस वाक्य का सम्बन्ध स्वयं भगवान् तथा अर्जुन दोनों से ही है। यदि अर्जुन इस तथ्य को स्वयं समझ लेता है तो उसे स्वयं को अजन्मा आत्मा का हत्यारा मानने का कोई प्रश्न नहीं रह जाता है।किस प्रकार आत्मा अविनाशी है अगले श्लोक में एक दृष्टांत के द्वारा इसे स्पष्ट करते हैं
2.21 O Partha, he who knows this One as indestructible, eternal, birthless and undecaying, how and whom does that person kill, or whom does he cause to be killed! [This is not a estion but only an emphatic denial.-Tr.]
2.21 Whosoever knows It to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Arjuna, or cause to be slain?
2.21. Whosever realises This to be changeless, destructionless, unborn and immutable, how can that person be slain; how can he either slay [any one] ? O son of Prtha !
2.21 वेद knows? अविनाशिनम् indestructible? नित्यम् eternal? यः who? एनम् this (Self)? अजम् unborn? अव्ययम् inexhaustible? कथम् how? सः he (that)? पुरुषः man? पार्थ O Partha (son of Pritha)? कम् whom? घातयति causes to be slain? हन्ति kills? कम् whom.Commentary The enlightened sage who knows the immutable and indestructible Self through direct cognition or spiritual Anubhava (experience) cannot do the act of slaying. He cannot cause another to slay also.
2.21 In the mantra, He who thinks of this One as the killer, having declared that (the Self) does not become the agent or the object of the actof killing, and then in the mantra, Never is this One born, etc., having stated the reasons for (Its) changelessness, the Lord sums up the purport of what was declared above: He who knows this One as indestructible, etc. Yah, he who; veda, knows yah is to be thus connected with Veda ; enam, this One, possessing the characteristics stated in the earlier mantra; as avinasinam, indestructible, devoid of the final change of state; nityam, eternal, devoid of transformation; ajam, birthless; and avyayam, undecaying; katham, how, in what way; (and kam, whom;) does sah, that man of realization; purusah, the person who is himself an authority [i.e. above all injunctions and prohibitions. See 18.16.17.-Tr.]; hanti, kill, undertake the act of killing; or how ghatayati, does he cause (others) to be killed, (how does he) instigate a killer! The intention is to deny both (the acts) by saying, In no way does he kill any one, nor does he cause anyone to be killed, because an interrogative sense is absurd (here). Since the implication of the reason [The reason for the denial of killing etc. is the changelessness of the Self, and this reason holds good with regard to all actions of the man of realization.-Tr.], viz the immutability of the Self, [The A.A. omits viz the immutability of the Self.-Tr.] is common (with regard to all actions), therefore the negation of all kinds of actions in the case of a man of realization is what the Lord conveys as the only purport of this context. But the denial of (the act of) killing has been cited by way of an example. Objection: By noticing what special reason for the impossibility of actions in the case of the man of realization does the Lord deny all actions (in his case) by saying, How can that person, etc.? Vedantin: Has not the immutability of the Self been already stated as the reason [Some readings omit this word.-Tr.] , the specific ground for the impossibility of all actions? Objection: It is true that it has been stated; but that is not a specific ground, for the man of realization is different from the immutable Self. Indeed, may it not be argued that action does not become impossible for one who has known as unchanging stump of a tree?! Vedantin: No, because of man of Knowledge is one with the Self. Enlightenment does not belong to the aggregate of body and senses. Therefore, as the last laternative, the knower is the Immutable and is the Self which is not a part of the aggregate. Thus, action being impossible for that man of Knowledge, the denial in, How can that person৷৷., etc. is reasonable. As on account of the lack of knowledge of the distinction between the Self and the modifications of the intellect, the Self, though verily immutable, is imagined through ignorance to be the perceiver of objects like sound etc. presented by the intellect etc., in this very way, the Self, which in reality is immutable, is said to be the knower because of Its association with the knowledge of the distinction between the Self and non-Self, which (knowledge) is a modification of the intellect [By buddhi-vrtti, modification of the intellect, is meant the transformation of the internal organ into the form of an extension upto an object, along with its past impressions, the senses concerned, etc., like the extension of the light of a lamp illuminating an object. Consciousness reflected on this transformation and remaining indistinguishable from that transformation revealing the object, is called objective knowledge. Thery, due to ignorance, the Self is imagined to be the perceiver because of Its connection with the vrtti, modification. (-A.G.) The process is elsewhere described as follows: The vrtti goes out through the sense-organ concerned, like the flash of a torchlight, and along with it goes the reflection of Consciousness. Both of them envelop the object, a pot for instance. The vrtti destroys the ignorance about the pot; and the reflection of Consciousness, becoming unified with only that portion of it which has been delimited by the pot, reveals the pot. In the case of knowledge of Brahman, it is admitted that the vrtti in the form, I am Brahman, does reach Brahman and destroys ignorance about Brahman, but it is not admitted that Brahman is revealed like a pot, for Brahman is self-effulgent.-Tr.] and is unreal by nature. From the statement that action is impossible for man of realization it is understood that the conclusion of the Lord is that, actions enjoined by the scriptures are prescribed for the unenlightened. Objection: Is not elightenment too enjoined for the ignorant? For, the injunction about enlightenment to one who has already achieved realization is useless, like grinding something that has already been ground! This being so, the distinction that rites and duties are enjoined for the unenlightened, and not for the enlightened one, does not stand to reason. Vedantin: No. There can reasonable be a distinction between the existence or nonexistence of a thing to be performed. As after the knowledge of the meaning of the injunction for rites like Agnihotra etc. their performance becomes bligatory on the unenlightened one who thinks, Agnihotra etc. has to be performed by collecting various accessories; I am the agent, and this is my duty, unlike this, nothing remains later on to be performed as a duty after knowing the meaning of the injunction about the nature of the Self from such texts as, Never is this One born, etc. But apart from the rise of knowledge regarding the unity of the Self, his non-agency, etc., in the form, I am not the agent, I am not the enjoyer, etc., no other idea arises. Thus, this distinction can be maintained. Again, for anyone who knows himself as, I am the agent, there will necessarily arise the idea, This is my duty. In relation to that he becomes eligible. In this way duties are (enjoined) [Ast. adds sambhavanti, become possible.-Tr.] for him. And according to the text, both of them do not know (19), he is an unenlightened man. And the text, How can that person, etc. concerns the enlightened person distinguished above, becuase of the negation of action (in this text). Therefore, the enlightened person distinguished above, who has realized the immutable Self, and the seeker of Liberation are alified only for renunciation of all rites and duties. Therefore, indeed, the Lord Narayana, making a distinction between the enlightened man of Knowledge and the unenlightened man of rites and duties, makes them take up the two kinds of adherences in the text, through the Yoga of Knowledge for the men of realization; through the Yoga of Action for the yogis (3.3). Similarly also, Vyasa said to his son, Now, there are these two paths, etc. [Now, there are these two paths on which the Vedas are based. They are thought of as the dharma characterized by engagement in duties, and that by renunciation of them (Mbh. Sa. 241.6).-Tr.] So also (there is a Vedic text meaning): The path of rites and duties, indeed, is the earlier, and renunciation comes after that. [Ast. says that this is not a otation, but only gives the purport of Tai, Ar. 10.62.12.-Tr.] The Lord will show again and again this very division: The unenlightened man who is deluded by egoism thinks thus: I am the doer; but the one who is a knower of the facts (about the varieties of the gunas) thinks, I do not act (cf. 3.27,28). So also there is the text, (The embodied man of selfcontrol,) having given up all actions mentally, continues (happily in the town of nine gates) (5.13) etc. With regard to this some wiseacres say: In no person does arise the idea, I am the changeless, actionless Self, which is One and devoid of the six kinds of changes beginning with birth to which all things are subject, on the occurrence of which (idea alone) can renunciation of all actions be enjoined. That is not correct, because it will lead to the needlessness of such scriptural instructions as, Never is this One born, etc. (20). They should be asked: As on the authority of scripural instructions there arises the knowledge of the existence of virtue and vice and the knowledge regarding an agent who gets associated with successive bodies, similarly, why should not there arise from the scriptures the knowledge of unchangeability, non-agentship, oneness, etc. of that very Self? Objection: If it be said that this is due to Its being beyond the scope of any means (of knowledge)? Vedantin: No, because the Sruti says, It is to be realized through the mind alone, (following the instruction of the teacher) (Br. 4.4.19). The mind that is purified by the instructions of the scriptures and the teacher, control of the body and organs, etc. becomes the instrument for realizing the Self. Again, since there exist inference and scriptures for Its realization, it is mere bravado to say that Knowledge does not arise. And it has to be granted that when knowledge arises, it surely eliminates ignorance, its opposite. And that ignorance has been shown in, I am the killer, I am killed, and both of them do not know (see 2.19). And here also it is shown that the idea of the Self being an agent, the object of an action, or an indirect agent, is the result of ignorance. Also, the Self being changeless, the fact that such agentship etc. are cuased by ignorance is a common factor in all actions without exception, because only that agent who is subject to change instigates someone else who is different from himself and can be acted on, saying, Do this. Thus, with a view to pointing out the absence of fitness for rites and duties in the case of an enlightened person, the Lord [Ast, adds vasudeva after Lord.-Tr.] says, He who knows this One as indestructible, how can that person, etc. thery denying this direct and indirect agentship of an enlightened person in respect of all actions without exception. As regards the estion, For what, again, is the man of enlightenment alified?, the answer has already been give earlier in, through the Yoga of Knowledge for the men of realization (3.3). Similarly, the Lord will also speak of renunication of all actions in, having given up all actions mentally, etc.(5.13). Objection: May it not be argued that from the expression, mentally, (it follows that) oral and bodily actions are not to be renounced? Vedantin: No, because of the categoric expression, all actions. Objection: May it not be argued that all actions relates only to those of the mind? Vedantin: No, because all oral and bodily actions are preceded by those of the mind, for those actions are impossible in the absence of mental activity. Objection: May it not be said that one has to mentally renounce all other activities except the mental functions which are the causes of scriptural rites and duties performed through speech and body? Vedantin: No, because it has been specifically expressed: without doing or causing (others) to do anything at all (5.13). Objection: May it not be that this renunciation of all actions, as stated by the Lord, is with regard to a dying man, not one living? Vedantin: No, because (in that case) the specific statement, The embodied man৷৷.continues happily in the town of nine gates (ibid.) will become illogical since it is not possible for a dead person, who neither acts nor makes others act, [The words akurvatah akarayatah, (of him) who neither acts nor makes others act, have been taken as a part of the Commentators arguement. But A.G. points out that they can also form a part of the next Objection. In that, case, the translation of the Objection will be this: Can it not be that the construction of the sentence (under discussion) is Neither doing nor making others do, he rest by depositing (sannyasya, by renouncing) in the body, but not he rests in the body by renouncing৷৷.?] to rest in that body after renouncing all actions. Objection: Can it not be that the construction of the sentence (under discussion) is, (he rests) by depositing (sannyasya, by renouncing) in the body, (but) not he rests in the body by renouncing৷৷.? Vedantin: No, because everywhere it is categorically asserted that the Self is changeless. Besides, the action of resting reires a location, whereas renunciation is independent of this. The word nyasa preceded by sam here means renunciation, not depositing. Therefore, according to this Scripture, viz the Gita, the man of realization is eligible for renunciation, alone, not for rites and duties. This we shall show in the relevant texts later on in the cotext of the knowledge of the Self. And now we shall speak of the matter on hand: As to that, the indestructibility [Indestructibility suggests unchangeability as well.] of the Self, has been postulated. What is it like? That is being said in, As after rejecting wornout clothes, etc.
2.21 Veda etc. Whosoever, because of his realisation, under-stands this Self as This neither slays [any one]. nor is This slain [by any one] - how could there be any bondage for him ?
2.21 He who knows the self to be eternal, as It is indestructible, unborn and changeless - how can that person be said to cause the death of the self, be it of the self existing in the bodies of gods or animals or immovables? Whom does he kill? The meaning is - how can he destroy any one or cause anyone to slay? How does he become an instrument for slaying? The meaning is this: the feeling of sorrow: I cause the slaying of these selves, I slay these, has its basis solely in ignorance about the true nature of the self. Let it be granted that what is done is only separation of the bodies from the eternal selves. Even then, when the bodies, which are instruments for the experience of agreeable pleasures, perish, there still exists reason for sorrow in their separation from the bodies. To this (Sri Krsna) replies:
With this knowledge, neither you who are fighting nor I who am urging you to fight have any fault. Here nityam is used as an, adverb: “He who knows constantly that the soul is indestructible, unborn, and eternal….” The words describing the soul are used to negate the objections of Arjuna about destruction. “Whom do I (sa purusah), the Lord, cause to be killed (by advising you to fight)? And how do I cause anyone to be killed? And whom do you kill? And how do you kill?”
The denial of any possibility in the slaying of any living entity has been established, for all living entities continually maintain their existence through the agency of the immortal soul. Who can that person slay and how? When knowing its eternality which is free from modification, its immutability which is free from decay, unborn being free from birth and indestructible being free from death. For it is impossible to destroy the immortal soul by any means. So who then can factually claim to be the cause of another perishing? There is none who can claim this or by any means achieve this. So the Supreme Lord by clarifying this point is also informing Arjuna to that He is not directing him to slay anyone because the soul is factually never slain.
One who understands that the eternal soul is incapable of being destroyed who can be slain and how? The word avinasinam means indestructible, nityam means eternal and therefore by its own inherent nature the immortal soul is imperishable without any defects because what is eternal is never in a state of modification. The word defect is commonly used for that which is not of perfection. The physical body of the living entities is not perfect it is defective, thus the word destruction is applicable to the physical body but never to the eternal soul. Now begins the summation. The word avinasinam is indicative of one whose body is indestructible. Eternal in form only applies to the Supreme Lord. Unlimited activity is the attribute of being independent, total independence is found only in the case of the Supreme Lord, who being immutable is without any support outside of Himself.
So possessing spiritual intelligence, knowing the soul to be eternal, understanding it to be birthless and deathless being of an inexhaustible nature how is it possible for anyone to commit any act of destruction against the immortal soul which dwells in trillions of various and diverse living entities among the 8 million 400 thousand species of life throughout the billions of material universes. Whom can anyone destroy? How can anyone destroy anyone? Who can cause anyone to be destroyed? No one can! Thus it can be seen that ignorance of the eternal nature of the soul is the cause of all grief by not understanding that the soul is immortal and thinking that the eternal soul perishes when the physical body perishes. Comprehending that what happens to the immortal soul when the physical body ceases to function is factually the withdrawal from an old physical body to enter into a new physical body. So it can be understood that those who have deep regret for the loss of the physical body, serving as it does as the facility for securing and enjoying material pleasures; these living entities should reflect on the futility and temporal nature of material existence rather than trying to eternally exploit their senses. This will be further expounded in the next verse.
So possessing spiritual intelligence, knowing the soul to be eternal, understanding it to be birthless and deathless being of an inexhaustible nature how is it possible for anyone to commit any act of destruction against the immortal soul which dwells in trillions of various and diverse living entities among the 8 million 400 thousand species of life throughout the billions of material universes. Whom can anyone destroy? How can anyone destroy anyone? Who can cause anyone to be destroyed? No one can! Thus it can be seen that ignorance of the eternal nature of the soul is the cause of all grief by not understanding that the soul is immortal and thinking that the eternal soul perishes when the physical body perishes. Comprehending that what happens to the immortal soul when the physical body ceases to function is factually the withdrawal from an old physical body to enter into a new physical body. So it can be understood that those who have deep regret for the loss of the physical body, serving as it does as the facility for securing and enjoying material pleasures; these living entities should reflect on the futility and temporal nature of material existence rather than trying to eternally exploit their senses. This will be further expounded in the next verse.
Unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed,Vedaavinaashinam nityam ya enam ajam avyayam; Katham sa purushah paartha kam ghaatayati hanti kam.
veda—knows; avināśhinam—imperishable; nityam—eternal; yaḥ—who; enam—this; ajam—unborn; avyayam—immutable; katham—how; saḥ—that; puruṣhaḥ—person; pārtha—Parth; kam—whom; ghātayati—causes to be killed; hanti—kills; kam—whom
