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Bhagavad-Gītā with Śaṅkara's bhāṣya · 2.21

vedāvināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enam ajam avyayam | kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam

Translation. He who knows this Self (ātman) as imperishable and eternal, unborn and undecaying— how can that person, O Pārtha, set anyone to killing, or kill anyone?

Grammar check: 13 words pass / 0 flagged / 2 beyond the checkerPāṇini-verified

Every word's claimed grammar is re-derived with vidyut-prakriya, software implementing Pāṇini's rules. Flags are shown, never hidden; some are the text taking epic or Vedic liberties the classical rules do not generate.

Word by word

surfacelemmagrammar
vedavidunsupported
avināśinamavināśinpass
nityamnityapass
yaḥyadpass
enamenadunsupported
ajamajapass
avyayamavyayapass
kathamkathampass
saḥtadpass
puruṣaḥpuruṣapass
pārthapārthapass
kamkimpass
ghātayatihanpass
hantihanpass
kamkimpass

How the commentary settled it

Where the verse alone is ambiguous, the reading follows Śaṅkara's commentary; the deciding lines are quoted below each decision.
Veda is the third-person singular verb of the relative clause yaḥ … veda, correlated with saḥ; its perfect form has the present sense “knows.”
→ Third-person singular, “he who knows.”
gita [1]veda vijānāti avināśinam antya-bhāva-vikāra-rahitaṃ nityaṃ vipariṇāma-rahitaṃ yo veda iti saṃbandhaḥ |
Veda means ‘knows’; the construction is ‘he who knows [it as] imperishable … and eternal.’
Avināśinam, nityam, ajam, and avyayam are four masculine accusative singular predicates of enam. They denote respectively freedom from final destruction, transformation, birth, and diminution.
→ Coordinated adjectives: “imperishable, eternal, unborn, and undecaying.”
gita [1]avināśinam antya-bhāva-vikāra-rahitaṃ nityaṃ vipariṇāma-rahitaṃ
‘Imperishable’ means free from the final modification of being; ‘eternal’ means free from transformation.
gita [2]ajaṃ janma-rahitam avyayam apakṣaya-rahitam
‘Unborn’ means free from birth; ‘undecaying’ means free from diminution.
Enam refers to this Self (ātman), already characterized in the preceding context, rather than to an unspecified human body or merely to puruṣaḥ.
→ “This Self.”
gita [2]ukta-lakṣaṇam ajaṃ janma-rahitam avyayam apakṣaya-rahitam
It bears the characteristics already stated: unborn, free from birth, and undecaying, free from diminution.
gita [62]tatra ātmano 'vināśitvaṃ pratijñātam |
There the imperishability of the Self has been asserted.
Katham is not a request for information. It expresses an impossibility or emphatic denial, and its force extends to both ghātayati and hanti.
→ Rhetorical impossibility: “How can he …?”—that is, in no way does he perform either action.
gita [3]na kathaṃcit kaṃcit hanti, na kathaṃcit kaṃcit ghātayati iti ubhayatra ākṣepaḥ evārthaḥ praśnārthāsaṃbhavāt |
He does not in any way kill anyone, nor in any way cause anyone to kill: in both places the sense is exclusively a rhetorical rejection, since a genuine question is impossible.
Hanti denotes directly performing the act of killing, whereas causative ghātayati denotes impelling a killer—setting someone to kill. The first kam is therefore rendered as the person set to killing, not as someone merely caused to be killed.
→ “Set anyone to killing, or kill anyone.”
gita [2]hanti hanana-kriyāṃ karoti, kathaṃ vā ghātayati hantāraṃ prayojayati |
Hanti means that he performs the act of killing; alternatively, ghātayati means that he impels a killer.
gita [40]atra ca ātmanaḥ hanana-kriyāyāḥ kartṛtvaṃ karmatvaṃ hetu-kartṛtvaṃ ca ajñāna-kṛtaṃ darśitam |
Here the Self’s status as agent, object, and causative agent in killing is shown to be produced by ignorance.
The verse denies action as impossible for the knower of the actionless Self; it is not merely a moral injunction against homicide. Killing is the stated example of the wider denial of agency.
→ Modal impossibility—“How can that person …?”—with killing serving as the immediate example.
gita [13]asaṃhata ātmā vidvān avikriyaḥ iti tasya viduṣaḥ karmāsaṃbhavāt ākṣepo yuktaḥ kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ iti |
The knower is the uncomposed and changeless Self; because action is impossible for that knower, the rhetorical rejection ‘How can that person …?’ is appropriate.
gita [43]tad etat aviśeṣeṇa viduṣaḥ sarva-kriyāsu kartṛtvaṃ hetu-kartṛtvaṃ ca pratiṣedhati bhagavān vāsudevo viduṣaḥ karmādhikārābhāva-pradarśanārthaṃ vedāvināśinaṃ, kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ ity ādinā |
By ‘he who knows the imperishable’ and ‘how can that person?’ the Lord denies without exception the knower’s agency and causative agency in all actions, to show the knower’s lack of qualification for ritual action.

Śaṅkara's commentary on this unit

1veda vijānāti avināśinam antya-bhāva-vikāra-rahitaṃ nityaṃ vipariṇāma-rahitaṃ yo veda iti saṃbandhaḥ |
2enaṃ pūrveṇa matreṇokta-lakṣaṇam ajaṃ janma-rahitam avyayam apakṣaya-rahitaṃ kathaṃ kena prakāreṇa sa vidvān puruṣo 'dhikṛtaḥ hanti hanana-kriyāṃ karoti, kathaṃ vā ghātayati hantāraṃ prayojayati |
3na kathaṃcit kaṃcit hanti, na kathaṃcit kaṃcit ghātayati iti ubhayatra ākṣepaḥ evārthaḥ praśnārthāsaṃbhavāt |
4hetv-arthasya ca avikriyatvasya tulyatvāt viduṣaḥ sarva-karma-pratiṣedha eva prakaraṇārtho 'bhipreto bhagavatā |
5hantes tu ākṣepaḥ udāharaṇārthatvena kathitaḥ |
6viduṣaḥ kaṃ karmāsaṃbhave hetu-viśeṣaṃ paśyan karmāṇy ākṣipati bhagavān kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ iti |
7nanu ukta evātmano 'vikriyatvaṃ sarva-karmāsaṃbhava-kāraṇa-viśeṣaḥ |
8satyam uktaḥ |
9na tu sa kāraṇa-viśeṣaḥ, anyatvāt viduṣo 'vikriyād ātmanaḥ |
10na hi avikriyaṃ sthāṇuṃ viditavataḥ karma na saṃbhavati iti cet, na |
11viduṣaḥ ātmatvāt |
12na dehādi-saṃghātasya vidvattā |
13ataḥ pāriśeṣyāt asaṃhata ātmā vidvān avikriyaḥ iti tasya viduṣaḥ karmāsaṃbhavāt ākṣepo yuktaḥ kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ iti |
14yathā buddhyādy āhṛtasya śabdādy-arthasya avikriya eva san buddhi-vṛtty-aviveka-vijñānena avidyayā upalabdhā ātmā kalpyate, evam eva ātmānātma-viveka-jñānena buddhi-vṛttyā vidyā asatya-rūpayaiva paramārthato 'vikriya eva ātmā vidvān ucyate |
15viduṣaḥ karmāsaṃbhava-vacanāt yāni karmāṇi śāstreṇa vidhīyante tāni aviduṣo vihitāni iti bhagavato niścayo 'vagamyate ||
16nanu vidyāpi aviduṣa eva vidhīyate, vidita-vidyasya piṣṭa-peṣaṇavat vidyā-vidhānānarthakyāt |
17tatra aviduṣaḥ karmāṇi vidhīyante na viduṣaḥ iti viśeṣo nopapadyate iti cet, na |
18anuṣṭheyasya bhāvābhāva-viśeṣopapatteḥ |
19agnihotrādi-vidhy-artha-jñānottara-kālam agnihotrādi-karma aneka-sādhanopasaṃhāra-pūrvakam anuṣṭheyaṃ kartā aham, mama kartavyam ity evaṃ prakāra-vijñānavato 'viduṣaḥ yathā anuṣṭheyaṃ bhavati, na tu tathā na jāyate ity ādy ātma-svarupa-vidhy-artha-jñānottara-kāla-bhāvi kiṃcid anuṣṭheyaṃ bhavati |
20kintu nāhaṃ kartā, nāhaṃ bhoktā ity ādy ātmaikatvākartṛtvādi-viṣaya-jñānāt nānyad utpadyate iti eṣa viśeṣa upapadyate |
21yaḥ punaḥ kartā aham iti vetti ātmānam, tasya mama idaṃ kartavyam iti avaśyaṃbhāvinī buddhiḥ syāt |
22tad-apekṣayā so 'dhikriyate iti taṃ prati karmāṇi saṃbhavanti |
23sa ca avidvān ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ iti vacanāt viśeṣitasya ca viduṣaḥ karmākṣepa-vacanāt kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ iti |
24tasmāt viśeṣitasya avikriyātma-darśinaḥ viduṣaḥ mumukṣo ca sarva-karma-saṃnyāse eva adhikāraḥ |
25ata eva bhagavān nārāyaṇaḥ sāṃkhyān viduṣo 'viduṣa ca karmiṇaḥ pravibhajya dve niṣṭhe grāhayati-jñāna-yogena sāṃkhyānāṃ karma-yogena yoginām iti |
26tathā ca putrāya āha bhagavān vyāsaḥ - dvāv imāv atha panthānau [mahāśā 241.6] ity ādi |
27tathā ca kriyā-pathaś caiva purastāt paścāt saṃnyāsaś ca iti |
28etam eva vibhāgaṃ punaḥ punar darśayiṣyati bhagavān --- atattvavit ahaṃkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate, tattvavit tu, nāhaṃ karomi iti |
29tathā ca sarva-karmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste ityādi ||
30tatra kecit paṇḍitaṃ-manyā vadanti --- janmādi-ṣaḍ-bhāva-vikriyā-rahito 'vikriyo 'kartā eko 'ham ātmā iti na kasyacit jñānam utpadyate, yasmin sati sarva-karma-saṃnyāsaḥ upadiśyate iti |
31tan na |
32na jāyate ityādi śāstropadeśānarthakya-prasaṅgāt |
33yathā ca śāstropadeśa-sāmarthyāt dharmādharmāstitva-vijñānaṃ kartuś ca dehāntara-saṃbandha-vijñānam utpadyate, tathā śāstrāt tasyaiva ātmano 'vikriyatvākartṛtvaikatvādi-vijñānaṃ kasmāt notpadyate iti praṣṭavyāḥ te |
34karaṇāgocaratvāt iti cet, na |
35manasaivānudraṣṭavyam [bau 4.4.19] iti śruteḥ |
36śāstrācāryopadeśa-śama-damādi-saṃskṛtaṃ mana ātma-darśane karaṇam |
37tathā ca tad adhigamāya anumāne āgame ca sati jñānaṃ notpadyata iti sāhasa-mātram etat |
38jñānaṃ ca utpadyamānaṃ tad-viparītam ajñānam avaśyaṃ bādhate ity abhyupagantavyam |
39tac ca ajñānaṃ darśitam hantā aham, hato 'smi iti ubhau tau na vijānīta iti |
40atra ca ātmanaḥ hanana-kriyāyāḥ kartṛtvaṃ karmatvaṃ hetu-kartṛtvaṃ ca ajñāna-kṛtaṃ darśitam |
41tac ca sarva-kriyāsv api samānaṃ kartṛtvādeḥ avidyā-kṛtatvam avikriyatvāt ātmanaḥ |
42vikriyāvān hi kartā ātmanaḥ karma-bhūtam anyaṃ prayojayati kuru iti |
43tad etat aviśeṣeṇa viduṣaḥ sarva-kriyāsu kartṛtvaṃ hetu-kartṛtvaṃ ca pratiṣedhati bhagavān vāsudevo viduṣaḥ karmādhikārābhāva-pradarśanārthaṃ vedāvināśinaṃ, kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ ity ādinā |
44kva punaḥ viduṣo 'dhikāra iti etad uktaṃ pūrvam eva jñāna-yogena sāṃkhyānām iti |
45tathā ca sarva-karma-saṃnyāsaṃ vakṣyati sarva-karmāṇi manasā ity ādinā ||
46nanu manasā iti vacanāt na vācikānāṃ kāyikānā ca saṃnyāsaḥ iti cet, na |
47sarva-karmāṇi iti viśeṣitatvāt |
48mānasānām eva sarva-karmaṇām iti cet, na |
49mano-vyāpāra-pūrvakatvād vāk-kāya-vyāpārāṇāṃ mano-vyāpārābhāve tad-anupapatteḥ |
50śāstrīyāṇāṃ vāk-kāya-karmaṇāṃ kāraṇāni mānasāni karmāṇi varjayitvā anyāni sarva-karmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyed iti cet, na |
51naiva kurvan na kārayan iti viśeṣaṇāt |
52sarva-karma-saṃnyāso 'yaṃ bhagavatā uktaḥ mariṣyato na jīvata iti cet, na |
53nava-dvāre pure dehī āste iti viśeṇānupapatteḥ |
54na hi sarva-karma-saṃnyāsena mṛtasya tad-dehe āsanaṃ saṃbhavati |
55akurvato 'kārayata ca dehe saṃnyasya iti saṃbandho na dehe āste iti cet, na |
56sarvatra ātmano 'vikriyatvāvadhāraṇāt |
57āsana-kriyāyāś cādhikaraṇāpekṣatvāt |
58tad-anapekṣatvāc ca saṃnyāsasya |
59saṃpūrvas tu nyāsa-śabdo 'tra tyāgārthaḥ, na nikṣepārthaḥ |
60tasmāt gītā-śāstre ātma-jñānavataḥ saṃnyāsa eva adhikāro na karmaṇīti tatra tatra upariṣṭāt ātma-jñāna-prakaraṇe darśayiṣyāmaḥ ||bhgs_2.21||
61prakṛtaṃ tu vakṣyāmaḥ |
62tatra ātmano 'vināśitvaṃ pratijñātam |
63tat kim iveti, ucyate -