Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta Shlok Blog -68
Shlok-21
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् । कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ 2-21 ||
English Transcription
Vedavinashinam Nityam Ya Enmajamawyayam | Katham Sa Purushah Paarth Kam Ghaatayati Hanti Kam || 2-21 ||
Hindi Translation
Hey Prithanandan, jo manushya is shareeri ko avinaashi, nitya, janmarahit or avyay janta hai, wah kaise kisko maare or kaise kisko marwaaye?
English Translation
How does the man who knows this indestructible, eternal, unborn, and imperishable principle, Son of Pritha, have anybody killed, or kill anybody?
Meaning
In the previous Shlok, we saw how Shri Krishna talked about the body, soul, and mortal immortal. He explained in detail everything to Arjun telling him that he was crying over the inevitable and the important rather than understanding the real need of the hour in everything. In this Shlok, we will see how the death of the body and the reason behind that death will be discussed so as to establish who is at fault, if any.
As we all know well by now that this body can be destroyed but the soul can never die, can never change, and can never be born or reduced, anyone who has understood this or sensed this or knows this to the full extent, does not have the capacity to get anyone killed or kill anyone. This means that getting someone killed or killing someone can never be anything that makes the person invincible ever. Then what does? And then, why are the killings needed and ordered? And who shall do it? And why be done by someone who doesn’t know these than by someone who knows these? And why tell the person who has to do these to know these and then be able to not be able to kill and yet need to kill the others? Too many questions and only one way to know. Read along.
The one who knows everything can never be the doer of killing, so can never be the killer. But he can also never be the one to order the kill. So Shri Krishna knew a lot and he could not kill himself, as he had said already that it will be beyond the order of the world because someone else was destined to do it. Now, he can’t kill is established, but why is he ordering to kill when he knows everything when he said that the one who knows all cannot kill and cannot also order a kill?
He explains this by saying that he knows all but in the form of Vishnu, the creator, preserver, and administrator. In the incarnation of Krishna, he knows few things only and he is allowed to know few things only. Yet, because his killing will be against the order of the universe and nature, he has to resolve to the next best alternative of ordering to kill because Arjun’s nature will make him resent the kill and then some ordering force is needed to execute the same task. This sounds a little too complex, so if need be, read this twice or thrice to establish things properly, once again before moving past this or ahead of this.
Shri Krishna used terms like “Avinashi” resenting the death, “Nitya” resenting changes like increasing or decreasing, “Aj” resenting the birth, and “Avyay” to symbolize reduction, ownership, and death. Why was he resenting? Because the soul cannot have any of these six levels and thus, he was the soul who knows a lot of things and he was embodying an incarnation that wasn’t supposed to know everything. So he knows a lot but he also doesn’t, so he cannot kill but order to kill.
Why is he telling all this to Arjun? Because Arjun is supposed to kill but he is not doing what his soul is destined to do and thus, it is now a need for the soul to be ordered to know certain things, only on a need-to-know basis, and then execute the orders to make sure there is a better justice served to the soul’s lifetime in Arjun’s body.
Now another question, if God had to establish that the body and soul need not be the same and do the same thing, then why did he establish the fact first that they are the same and then the fact that they are different and they need to be separated but earlier, he didn’t support the decision of war and battle and killing? The reason is that Krishna wanted peace, but he wanted that as a body and not a soul. Same for Arjun. Duryodhan wanted a battle, but it was his body that wanted this. So when the body wants to do something that will affect the course of the soul, it has to be resented by another body. But if the soul’s path is being cleared by the body of anyone then it is only supported in all parameters.
Now, since the souls wanted to kill the bodies and free themselves, there had to be a doer as the souls cannot do this, and thus, earlier, when it was exactly needed Krishna waited for the battle to wait, and then when things were matured completely, then the soul was ready to be freed and thus, then Krishna wanted a battle after the soul was ready to be freed and travel into something new thereafter.
Conclusion
The deaths and births should not be mourned or celebrated because it is decided and it will happen. Rather understanding reason and trying to adapt for the best course of the soul is one of the best courses of action for a human body, because only humans are the ones who can ease their way into this, all others need to surrender to the whims of nature. Whatever takes birth has to die, and whatever dies will take birth again, this is a vicious cycle and the body and soul are not the same or similar. They are different and will stay different always. So, if we start disrespecting this, we are technically disrespecting the order of God and nature and that is something more grave than a sin and will give huge repentance.
That’s it for Shlok-21, Chapter-2. We’ll see you tomorrow with Shlok-22, chapter-2 and till then, keep learning, keep reading, and keep worshipping..!!
