Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 21
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 2 श्लोक 21

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्।।2.21।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
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.]


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
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:


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 2.21Unborn, 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.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 2.21veda—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