Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 2, Verse 21: Krishna to Arjuna — Sāṅkhya-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 2.21Chapter 2 · Sāṅkhya-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · Pārtha · anuṣṭubh
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् ।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥
ved← √vid(76 verses)past indicative 3rd person singular verbto know; to find (verbal root)āvināśinaṃ nityaṃ← nitya(17 verses)accusative masculine singular nouneternal, permanent, daily ya enam← enad(18 verses)accusative masculine singular nounthis, this here (close demonstrative) ajam← aja(6 verses)accusative masculine singular noununborn (a- + ja, from √jan); the Unborn avyayam← avyaya(23 verses)accusative masculine singular nounimperishable (a- + vyaya 'perishable', from vi-√i 'go away')attested in commentariesadvaitaअपक्षयरहितं कथं केन प्रकारेण सः विद्वान् पुरुषः अधिकृतः हन्ति हननक्रिया करोति कथं वा घातयति हन्तारं प्रयोजयति
kathaṃ← katham(13 verses)how? sa← tad(305 verses)nominative masculine singular nounthat (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun puruṣaḥ← puruṣa(23 verses)nominative masculine singular nounperson, man; the cosmic Person; the Self (Sāṅkhya/Vedānta)attested in commentariesadvaitaअधिकृतः हन्ति हननक्रिया करोति कथं वा घातयति हन्तारं प्रयोजयतिbhaktiकं हन्ति कथं वा हन्ति pārtha← pārtha(42 verses)vocative masculine singular nounson of Pṛthā (Kuntī); epithet of Arjuna kaṃ← ka(42 verses)accusative masculine singular nounwho? what? (interrogative) ghātayati← √ghātaypresent indicative 3rd person singular verbto cause to kill (caus. of √han)attested in commentariesadvaitaहन्तारं प्रयोजयतिviśiṣṭādvaitaकं वा कथं हन्ति कथं नाशयति कथं वा तत्प्रयोजको भवति इत्यर्थःdvaitaहन्ति वा अविनाशिनं नैमित्तिकविनाशरहितम्bhakti। न कंचिदपि कथंचिदपीत्यर्थः। अनेन मय्यपि प्रयोजकत्वाद्दोषदृष्टिं मा कार्षीरित्युक्तं भवति।advaita-bhakti। कथं घातयति। कमपि न घातयति कथमपि न घातयतीत्यर्थः। नहि सर्वविकारशून्यस्याकर्तुर्हननक्रियायां कर्तृत्वं संभवति। तथाच श्रु hanti← √han(11 verses)present indicative 3rd person singular verbto slay, kill, strike (verbal root)attested in commentariesadvaitaहननक्रिया करोति कथं वा घातयति हन्तारं प्रयोजयतिviśiṣṭādvaitaकथं नाशयति कथं वा तत्प्रयोजको भवति इत्यर्थःdvaitaवा अविनाशिनं नैमित्तिकविनाशरहितम्bhaktiकथं वा हन्तिadvaita-bhaktiन हन्यते इति प्रतिज्ञाय न हन्यत इत्युपपादितं इदानीं न हन्तीत्युपपादयन्नुपसंहरति न विनष्टुं शीलं यस्य तमविनाशिनमन्त्यविक kam← ka(42 verses)accusative masculine singular nounwho? what? (interrogative)
spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip
meaning

Knowing this self as eternal, unborn, and imperishable, how can a person slay anyone, or cause anyone to be slain?