BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:21

September 28, 2001

BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:21

vedavinasinam nityam

ya enam ajam avyayam

katham sa purusah partha

kam ghatayati hanti kam

WORD FOR WORD

veda--knows; avinasinam--indestructible; nityam--always existing;

yah--one who; enam--this (soul); ajam--unborn; avyayam--immutable;

katham--how; sah--that; purusah--person; partha--O Partha (Arjuna);

kam--whom; ghatayati--causes to hurt; hanti--kills; kam--whom.

TRANSLATION

O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible,

eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?

PURPORT

Everything has its proper utility, and a man who is situated in

complete knowledge knows how and where to apply a thing for its proper

utility. Similarly, violence also has its utility, and how to apply

violence rests with the person in knowledge. Although the justice of

the peace awards capital punishment to a person condemned for murder,

the justice of the peace cannot be blamed, because he orders violence

to another person according to the codes of justice. In Manu-samhita,

the lawbook for mankind, it is supported that a murderer should be

condemned to death so that in his next life he will not have to suffer

for the great sin he has committed. Therefore, the king's punishment

of hanging a murderer is actually beneficial. Similarly, when Krsna

orders fighting, it must be concluded that violence is for supreme

justice, and thus Arjuna should follow the instruction, knowing well

that such violence, committed in the act of fighting for Krsna, is not

violence at all because, at any rate, the man, or rather the soul,

cannot be killed; so for the administration of justice, so-called

violence is permitted. A surgical operation is not meant to kill the

patient, but to cure him. Therefore the fighting to be executed by

Arjuna at the instruction of Krsna is with full knowledge, so there is

no possibility of sinful reaction.

permission.

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