Bhagavad Gita 2.19 — The Self Neither Slays Nor Is Slain
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्।
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते॥ २.१९॥
🔊 Listen to meaning of this shloka
Current voice: —
Ready
Text-to-speech is not supported by this browser.
One who thinks that this soul is a slayer, and one who thinks that it is slain, both of them do not know. This soul neither slays nor is slain.
Transliteration (IAST)
Word Separation
The Sanskrit verse is separated into individual words (Padched) for easier study.
Word Meanings
| Line 1 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| yaḥ | one who |
| enam | this (the soul) |
| vetti | thinks, knows |
| hantāram | as a slayer |
| yaḥ | one who |
| cha | and |
| enam | this |
| manyate | thinks |
| hatam | as slain |
| Line 2 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| ubhau | both |
| tau | they |
| na | do not |
| vijānītaḥ | know, understand |
| na | neither |
| ayam | this (soul) |
| hanti | slays, kills |
| na | nor |
| hanyate | is slain |
| Line 1 | Line 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning | Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| yaḥ | one who | ubhau | both |
| enam | this (the soul) | tau | they |
| vetti | thinks, knows | na | do not |
| hantāram | as a slayer | vijānītaḥ | know, understand |
| yaḥ | one who | na | neither |
| cha | and | ayam | this (soul) |
| enam | this | hanti | slays, kills |
| manyate | thinks | na | nor |
| hatam | as slain | hanyate | is slain |
Detailed Meaning
Introduction
In this verse Lord Krishna addresses the concepts of 'killer' and 'killed' that weigh so heavily on Arjuna's mind. He says that anyone who thinks the Self can slay, and anyone who thinks the Self can be slain, is mistaken. The Self neither kills nor is killed. This is one of the most carefully worded statements of the Self's nature in the chapter.
Essence
Two misunderstandings
Lord Krishna says ya enam vetti hantāram yaś cainam manyate hatam. One person believes the Self is the slayer; another believes it is the slain. Ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ, both of them do not know. Both are looking at the Self through the lens of the body and its activities.
Hantāram (the slayer): The belief that 'I am the one who kills' attributes the power of destruction to the Self. Arjuna carries this burden when he imagines himself as the destroyer of his elders.
Hatam (the slain): The belief that 'this person has been destroyed' regards the essential being as having been annihilated. This is the thought that drives his grief.
Nāyam hanti na hanyate
The verse concludes that the Self neither kills nor is killed. The Self is not the doer of such actions, and it is not subject to being acted upon in this way. Actions such as striking, wounding, and dying belong to the body, the senses, and the world of matter. The Self is the witness in which all this takes place.
A very similar statement appears in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, which shows that the Gita is drawing on an older stream of Upaniṣadic insight and presenting it at the exact moment it is needed.
An important clarification
Krishna is not saying that actions have no moral significance, nor is He offering a licence for harm. Throughout the Gita He insists on dharma, on right and wrong action, and on the motives that lie behind what we do. His point here is narrower: that the Self cannot be the object of destruction, and so the grief based on that idea is misplaced.
Message for Everyday Life (Releasing the Burden of 'I Am the Doer')
We carry heavy loads of guilt, pride, and blame because we identify very strongly with being the one who causes outcomes.
Hold responsibility without ego: We should act as carefully and conscientiously as we can, but also recognise that results arise from many factors beyond ourselves.
Do not define a person by what happened to them: Hurt and loss are real, but they do not exhaust the dignity and reality of a human being.
Two misunderstandings
Lord Krishna says ya enam vetti hantāram yaś cainam manyate hatam. One person believes the Self is the slayer; another believes it is the slain. Ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ, both of them do not know. Both are looking at the Self through the lens of the body and its activities.
Hantāram (the slayer): The belief that 'I am the one who kills' attributes the power of destruction to the Self. Arjuna carries this burden when he imagines himself as the destroyer of his elders.
Hatam (the slain): The belief that 'this person has been destroyed' regards the essential being as having been annihilated. This is the thought that drives his grief.
Nāyam hanti na hanyate
The verse concludes that the Self neither kills nor is killed. The Self is not the doer of such actions, and it is not subject to being acted upon in this way. Actions such as striking, wounding, and dying belong to the body, the senses, and the world of matter. The Self is the witness in which all this takes place.
A very similar statement appears in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, which shows that the Gita is drawing on an older stream of Upaniṣadic insight and presenting it at the exact moment it is needed.
An important clarification
Krishna is not saying that actions have no moral significance, nor is He offering a licence for harm. Throughout the Gita He insists on dharma, on right and wrong action, and on the motives that lie behind what we do. His point here is narrower: that the Self cannot be the object of destruction, and so the grief based on that idea is misplaced.
Message for Everyday Life (Releasing the Burden of 'I Am the Doer')
We carry heavy loads of guilt, pride, and blame because we identify very strongly with being the one who causes outcomes.
Hold responsibility without ego: We should act as carefully and conscientiously as we can, but also recognise that results arise from many factors beyond ourselves.
Do not define a person by what happened to them: Hurt and loss are real, but they do not exhaust the dignity and reality of a human being.
Next Topic
The Lord has said that the Self neither slays nor is slain. The next verse presents the most complete description of the Self so far. It states that the Self is never born and never dies, and that it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
Hidden Messages In This Shloka
Reflect on this verse from different perspectives and see which deeper message opens up for you.
Wisdom Nuggets
You are more than what happens to your body.
Guilt often grows from misunderstanding who we are.
The 'I am the doer' sense creates heavy burdens.
What cannot die cannot be killed.
To see rightly is to be free of both fear and pride.
Ignorance sees ending; wisdom sees continuity.
Rest in the Self that nothing touches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'hantāra' (slayer) mean in this verse?
Who is 'hata' (slain) according to the common belief?
What does 'na vijānītaḥ' (do not know) imply?
Does this verse remove all responsibility for actions?
How does this verse help Arjuna?
Explore related topics
More shlokas on the themes this verse touches: