Bhagavad Gita 2.21
Sankhya Yoga · English Translation
Sanskrit
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् | कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ||२-२१||
Transliteration
vedāvināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enamajamavyayam . kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam ||2-21||
Whosoever knows It to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Arjuna, or cause to be slain?
Word by Word
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
Classical 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.