98
Бһага  вад-гӯта́ Ас Іт Іс
[Ch. 2]
PURPORT
When an embodied living entity is hurt by fatal weapons, it is to be known that the living entity within the body is not killed. The spirit soul is so small that it is impossible to kill him by any material weapon, as is evident from the previous verses. Nor is the living entity killable because of his spiritual constitution. What is killed, or is supposed to be killed, is the body only. This, however, does not at all encourage killing of the body. The Vedic injunction is, “ māhimsyāt sarva-bhūtāni ,” never commit violence to anyone. Nor does understanding that the living entity is not killed encourage animal slaughter. 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. Arjuna, however, is being engaged in killing for the principle of religion, and not whimsically.
TEXT 20
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि- न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥२०॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin  
 nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ  
 ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo  
 na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
na —never;  jāyate —takes birth;  mriyate —never dies;  vā —either;  kadācit —at any time (past, present or future);  na —never;  ayam —this;  bhūtvā —came into being;  bhavitā —will come to be;  vā —or;  na —not;  bhūyaḥ —or has come to be;  ajaḥ —unborn;  nityaḥ —eternal;  śāśvataḥ —permanent;  ayam —this;  purāṇaḥ —the oldest;  na —never;  hanyate —is killed;  hanyamāne —being killed;  śarīre —by the body.
TRANSLATION
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.