For Eternal Beginners
वेद अविनाशिनम् नित्यम् य एनम् अजम् अव्ययम् ।
कथम् स पुरुषः पार्थ कम् घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ २१ ॥
veda avinAzinam nityam ya enam ajam avyayam |
katham sa puruSaH pArtha kam ghAtayati hanti kam || 21 ||
पार्थ [pArtha] Arjuna, यः [yaH] whoever वेद [veda] knows एनम् [enam] the Self अविनाशिनम् [avinAzinam] as being indestructible, अजम् [ajam] without birth, अव्ययम् [avyayam] without change in form नित्यम् [nityam] and everlasting, कथम् [katham] how can सः पुरुषः [saH puruSaH] such a person कम् घातयति [kam ghAtayati] hurt anyone कम् हन्ति [kam hanti] or kill anyone?
The Self is indestructible, being without birth and without wearing out. How can anyone with this awareness hurt any body’s Self? Or kill and destroy anyone? How can he even be the initiator of the killing? - That is the message here. The feeling of sadness, such as ‘I will hurt the Self within them, I will kill them’ - is caused by ignorance of the real nature of the Self. That is the assertion here.
This gives rise to a doubt – Even when we know that death is merely the separation of the Self from the body, isn’t the disintegration of the body something to grieve about? After all, the body is a medium to enjoy the good things in life. When the Self discards its body, isn’t it a sorrowful event? This doubt is addressed in the next Shloka.