vedāvināśhinaṁ nityaṁ ya enam ajam avyayam
kathaṁ sa puruṣhaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati 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
In this verse, Krishna is explaining something very important to Arjuna. He’s saying that if someone truly understands the nature of the soul, they would know that the soul is never destroyed. The soul is eternal, meaning it always exists, it is not born like a physical body, and it does not change or get affected by things that happen to the body.
Imagine you see someone getting hurt, and you feel sad or scared for that person. But if you realize that the part of them that makes them a human—their soul—can never be harmed, you would start to understand that the fear or sadness may not be as intense as it seems.
Krishna is telling Arjuna to think about this: if the soul is immortal, then can anyone truly kill or harm another person? The body might die, but the soul continues to exist. So how could Arjuna, who is feeling the weight of having to fight, believe he is truly killing anyone?
To put it in simple terms, think of your clothes. When you wear clothes, those clothes can be torn or thrown away, but you—the person wearing them—remain safe. In the same way, our bodies are like those clothes, and we, as souls, are the essence that stays the same despite the changes to our physical forms.
Now, regarding violence and fighting. Krishna emphasizes that just like how a judge might have to hand down a tough sentence, like the death penalty, it is done in the name of justice. It is not because the judge enjoys harming others; rather, they are following the law for the greater good, ensuring that punishment fits the crime so that justice is served. The idea of fighting in a war, as Krishna explains to Arjuna, is similar. Arjuna is fighting in a just war, one that aims to restore balance and justice in society.
Krishna assures Arjuna that this fighting—not meant to hurt souls, as they are eternal—is in line with following what is right. It’s like a necessary operation by a doctor. Surgery can be painful and seems violent, but the doctor does it to help the patient recover.
Therefore, Krishna is urging Arjuna to fight, reminding him that this fight does not lead to harm of the soul. The fight is for a much bigger cause, and it’s important for establishing dharma (righteousness or duty). So, Krishna wants Arjuna to understand that his actions in battle are just a part of fulfilling his responsibilities without any guilt or regret.