Thread by @GitaGovindam

#gitarthavisesha #FirstShadanga #Adhyaya2 #Shloka19

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

ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaścainaṃ manyate hatam ।
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate ।।

हन्तारं - an object to destroy, एनं - Atma, य: - who, वेत्ति - thinks, एनं - Atma, हतम् - to destroy, य: च - who, ​मन्यते - thinks, उभौ तौ - those 2 persons, न विजानीत: - don’t know the Truth, न अयं हन्ति - There’s no object to destroy It, न हन्यते - nor will It get destroyed

(V)
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Persons who think of an object capable of destroyed Atma or that It will get destroyed are wrong. They don't realize the Truth.

Imaginary dialogue b/n Arjuna & Krishna as follows

A: When Atma is indestructible, why do we say dont harm animals, dont kill etc.. How can we use the word 'kill'? Is it even meaningful?

In case we use it for sharira, then should we say as 'dont kill the body'? The body doesn't have life on it's own.. It is not meaningful at all

A: Also, why do You Oh Krishna say we have die in battle or that animals must be killed in yagnas..

Your bheda of Atma/sharIra is very confusing

K: Oh Arjuna, it is true that Atma is indestructible while sharIra is not.

When shastras say don't kill, it means don't cut-off the relation between sharIra & Atma of that particular being (animal/person etc..)

The same shastras also have allowed (as exception) for killing animals for yagna or sacrificing your life in battlefield..

When someone is born we say 'he/she attained a new body'. Likewise, when someone dies we say 'he/she left the body'.. This is the way to understand it

(A)
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Whoever thinks that 'I am killed' when his body is slain, as well as whoever thinks 'I have killed', both of these are aviveki.. They don't realize The Truth..

Atma is not an agent of killing nor it gets killed.

(D)
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One who thinks 'I am killed' or thinks of 'I am killing', they both are vipareeta gnanis.
They assume Atma to anityam. Neither 'he is killed' nor 'he kills'.

This Atma is is an image of paramatma. As a result, It is incapable of any karma on It's own (including killing)