CHAPTER 2, TEXT 19: Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain.
Warrior cultures have existed throughout all of human history to protect the weak and take a stand for honor and justice. By definition, warriors kill. One cannot be a warrior without being willing to kill another human being.
The conclusion must be drawn that "violence also has its utility" (2.21, Purport): violence is useful, violence is even necessary. In fact, "violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order" (2.27, Purport). Chris Hedges of The New York Times writes in the article "What Every Person Should Know About War" that "Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history" (2003). Although world peace is a laudable goal, the facts show that we are more often at war than at peace, and violence is inevitable.
For Arjuna, who is a warrior, his role in this war is to kill others in his duty to keep law and order. Nevertheless, because of his soft heart, he is now conflicted, and even though he's given authority by the law to kill, he sees no utility or justice in doing so.
Krishna thus gives Arjuna knowledge that on a spiritual level, there IS no violence: the soul is not slain - what is killed is the body only (82). Following verses describe the nature of the soul, how it cannot be cut to pieces by any weapon, burned by fire, moistened by water, withered by the wind (2.23). Arjuna can take solace in the fact that the soul is never killed or injured in any way. The soul exists eternally and is untouched by the violence of this world. Krishna emphasizes that on a spiritual level, no one is slain. No one slays.
Prabhupad emphasizes, though that "This, however, does not encourage killing of the body. The Vedic injunction is ma himsyat sarva bhutani: never commit violence to anyone" (82). Indeed, if killing of the body were encouraged - hey, the soul is eternal I can kill whatever body I want! - then law and order would certainly be disrupted. Ahimsa - nonviolence - is a principle that honors the sacred soul within every being.
Thus Prabhupad is emphasizing that violence is not done whimsically or for one's own personal interests. He writes that "Killing the body of anyone without authority is abominable and is punishable by the law of the state as well as by the law of the Lord (82). We must take into consideration that Arjuna is a warrior - he is given authority to kill. We cannot take Krishna's instructions literally into our own lives - fight! kill! - because we are not warriors. We have no authority to kill.
Of course, if you actually are a warrior, do your thing.
But most of us are not literally warriors. Our duty is to follow the sacred principle of ahimsa and never commit violence to anyone. We need to understand the essence of Krishna's instructions, which is although we may encounter so much violence and death and suffering in this world, the soul is eternal. The soul is not slain. The soul does not experience violence, such as being cut to pieces.
The essence of Krishna's instructions is that the next time we encounter death in this world, we can remember that the soul does not die. Our soul does not die. The essence is that we can experience great solace and freedom from the fear of death. The truth sets us free.
Warrior cultures have existed throughout all of human history to protect the weak and take a stand for honor and justice. By definition, warriors kill. One cannot be a warrior without being willing to kill another human being.
The conclusion must be drawn that "violence also has its utility" (2.21, Purport): violence is useful, violence is even necessary. In fact, "violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order" (2.27, Purport). Chris Hedges of The New York Times writes in the article "What Every Person Should Know About War" that "Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history" (2003). Although world peace is a laudable goal, the facts show that we are more often at war than at peace, and violence is inevitable.
For Arjuna, who is a warrior, his role in this war is to kill others in his duty to keep law and order. Nevertheless, because of his soft heart, he is now conflicted, and even though he's given authority by the law to kill, he sees no utility or justice in doing so.
Krishna thus gives Arjuna knowledge that on a spiritual level, there IS no violence: the soul is not slain - what is killed is the body only (82). Following verses describe the nature of the soul, how it cannot be cut to pieces by any weapon, burned by fire, moistened by water, withered by the wind (2.23). Arjuna can take solace in the fact that the soul is never killed or injured in any way. The soul exists eternally and is untouched by the violence of this world. Krishna emphasizes that on a spiritual level, no one is slain. No one slays.
Prabhupad emphasizes, though that "This, however, does not encourage killing of the body. The Vedic injunction is ma himsyat sarva bhutani: never commit violence to anyone" (82). Indeed, if killing of the body were encouraged - hey, the soul is eternal I can kill whatever body I want! - then law and order would certainly be disrupted. Ahimsa - nonviolence - is a principle that honors the sacred soul within every being.
Thus Prabhupad is emphasizing that violence is not done whimsically or for one's own personal interests. He writes that "Killing the body of anyone without authority is abominable and is punishable by the law of the state as well as by the law of the Lord (82). We must take into consideration that Arjuna is a warrior - he is given authority to kill. We cannot take Krishna's instructions literally into our own lives - fight! kill! - because we are not warriors. We have no authority to kill.
Of course, if you actually are a warrior, do your thing.
But most of us are not literally warriors. Our duty is to follow the sacred principle of ahimsa and never commit violence to anyone. We need to understand the essence of Krishna's instructions, which is although we may encounter so much violence and death and suffering in this world, the soul is eternal. The soul is not slain. The soul does not experience violence, such as being cut to pieces.
The essence of Krishna's instructions is that the next time we encounter death in this world, we can remember that the soul does not die. Our soul does not die. The essence is that we can experience great solace and freedom from the fear of death. The truth sets us free.
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