
nityasya -astavastah – perishable; ime is eternal; uktah – is said; sāriṇaḥ – of the body bearer; anāṇāṇaḥ – imperishable; aprameyasya – unlimited; tasmāt – therefore; yudhanya – fight; bharata – O descendant of Bharata.
The material body of a living being, who is indestructible, unlimited, and eternal, is bound to perish. Therefore, O Bharata, fight.
Purport: By . It may perish immediately or it may perish after a hundred years. This is only a matter of time. It cannot be sustained indefinitely. But the soul is so subtle that it cannot be seen by the enemy, and it is needless to say that it cannot be killed. As stated in the previous verse, it is so subtle that no one knows how to measure its size. Therefore, from these two angles, there is no reason for sorrow. Because the living entity is neither killed nor does the material body last for any length of time, nor is it saved forever. The atomistic soul, which is the divine substance, acquires this material body according to its karma, and therefore it must take up the practice of Dharma. Because it is a part of the supreme light, the living entity has qualified as light in the Vedanta sutras. Just as the light of the sun nourishes the entire universe, this light of the soul nourishes the material body. As soon as the soul leaves this physical body, the body begins to decompose. Therefore, the soul is what sustains this body. The body alone is not important. Arjuna is advised here to fight and not to abandon dharma for worldly bodily desires.
I have killed the one who has taken the animal, and I have killed the one who has taken the animal. | I have killed the one who has taken the animal, and I have killed the one who has taken the animal.
yah – who; enam – this; vethi – who thinks; hantaram – the one who kills; yah – whoever; cha – also; enam – this; manyate – the one who thinks; hatam – the one who is killed;
Nalai dibinto – they are the ones who are free from the evil, ayam – this na hasta does not kill; na hasyate – it cannot be killed.
–
The soul, however much work it may do, is the cause of the matter, and the light of the soul is the body. Only with the senses
Neither one who thinks of a living being as the killer nor one who thinks of it as the one being killed is wise. Because the soul neither kills nor is killed.
Commentary: When the body is wounded by deadly weapons, it should be understood that the living entity in the body is not killed. The soul is so subtle that it is impossible to kill it with any weapon. This will be clear in the verses to come. Moreover, due to the spiritual state, the living entity is not killed. It is only the body that is killed or will be killed. However, this does not encourage the killing of the body. “Our violence is against all living beings” is the Vedas’ advice. Similarly, the understanding that the living entity is not killed does not encourage the killing of animals. Killing anyone’s body without authority is abhorrent. It is punishable by the law of the government and by the law of God. However, here Arjuna is being put in the act of killing for the sake of Dharma, but not with any extravagant thought.
20
If you are born, you will die, and if you are born, you will be born
Na jayate – not born; mriyate – not even death; kadachit
Never (past, future, present); na- not; ayam- this; bhutva- born; bhavita- born; va- or; na- not; bhuyah- reborn; ajah- unborn; nityah- eternal; sevathaah- eternal; ayam- this; puranah- ancient; na- hanyateh- cannot be killed; hanyamane- even if killed; sarire- body.
The soul has never had birth or death. It has not been born, will not be born, will not be born. It is unborn, eternal, eternal, and ancient. Even if the body is killed, it cannot be killed.
Explanation: The atomic-sized element of God is related to God in terms of qualities.