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य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्। उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।।2.19।।

ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaśh chainaṁ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 2, Verse 19
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks it is slain, neither of them knows. It does not slay, nor is it slain.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: the claim that the Self neither kills nor is killed isn't dodging responsibility, it's insisting the moral weight of an action still exists, just located elsewhere.

In life: understanding a deeper cause doesn't excuse you from the consequences of your actions.

Teaching: use this kind of perspective to find calm, never as a way to avoid accountability for what you actually do.

yaḥone who
enamthis
vettiknows
hantāramthe slayer
yaḥone who
chaand
enamthis
manyatethinks
hatamslain
ubhauboth
tauthey
nanot
vijānītaḥin knowledge
naneither
ayamthis
hantislays
nanor
hanyateis killed

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
2.19 यः he who? एनम् this (Self)? वेत्ति knows? हन्तारम् slayer? यः he who? च and? एनम् this? मन्यते thinks? हतम् slain? उभौ both? तौ those? न not? विजानीतः know? न not? अयम् this? हन्ति slays? न not? हन्यते is slain.Commentary -- The Self is nondoer (Akarta) and as It is immutable? It is neither the agent nor the object of the act of slaying. He who thinks I slay or I am slain with the body or the Ahamkara (ego)? he does not really comprehend the true nature of the Self. The Self is indestructible. It exists in the three periods of time. It is Sat (Existence). When the body is destroyed? the Self is not destroyed. The body has to undergo change in any case. It is inevitable. But the Self is not at all affected by it. Verses 19? 20? 21? 23 and 24 speak of the immortality of the Self or Atman. (Cf.XVIII.17)