2-23 to 2-24

नैनम् छिन्दति शस्त्राणि नैनम् दहति पावकः ।
न चैनम् क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥ २३ ॥
अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योयम् अक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च ।
नित्यस्सर्वगतः स्थाणुः अचलोऽयम् सनातनः ॥ २४ ॥

nainam chindati zastrANi nainam dahati pAvakaH |
na cainam kledayantyApo na zoSayati mArutaH || 23 ||
acchedyo'yamadAhyoyam akledyo'zoSya eva ca |
nityassarvagataH sthANuH acalo'yam sanAtanaH || 24 ||

शस्त्राणि [zastrANi] Weapons न छिन्दति [na chindati] do not cut एनम् [enam] the Self. पावकः [pAvakaH] Fire न दहति [na dahati] does not burn एनम् [enam] it. आपः [ApaH] Water न क्लेदयन्ति [na kledayanti] does not wet एनम् [enam] it. मारुतः [mArutaH] Wind न शोषयति [na zoSayati] does not dry एनम् [enam] it. अयम् [ayam] This Self अच्छेद्यः [acchedyaH] cannot be cut, अयम् अदाह्यः [ayam adAhyaH] cannot be burnt, अक्लेद्यः [akledyaH] cannot be wet, अशोष्य एव च [azoSya eva ca] and cannot be dried either. अयम् [ayam] The Self नित्यः [nityaH] is ever-lasting. सर्वगतः [sarvagataH] It pervades everything. स्थाणुः [sthANuH] It is stable, सनातनः [sanAtanaH] having been in existence forever.

Weapons, fire, water and wind - these cannot affect (respectively cut, burn, wet and dry) the Self. That’s because the Self pervades everything by its nature. By its nature, it is subtler than all other things. The effects of cutting, burning, wetting and drying are achieved only when the material world overwhelms something.

Hence the Self cannot be overwhelmed. It is ever-lasting, stable, ancient and un-assailable. It has been in existence forever.