Bhagavad Gita 2.19

Sanskrit

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ॥2.19॥

Transliteration

ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaścainaṃ manyate hatam | ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate ‖2.19‖

Meaning

“He who thinks the Self a slayer, and he who thinks it slain, both fail to understand. It neither slays nor is slain.”

Key learning

Neither the one who thinks he can destroy the deepest Self, nor the one who fears it can be destroyed, has it right. It simply cannot be killed.

How to apply this today

A lot of fear comes from believing the essential "you" can be wiped out. It can't. Let that shrink the size of your dread, so you can face hard things with far less panic.

Theme: The Yoga of Knowledge

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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