य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् | उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ||२-१९||
ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaścainaṃ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate ||2-19||
Chapter 2 · Verse 19
Sankhya Yoga
सांख्ययोग
In plain words
You must realize that you are not the physical body or the ego, and therefore you can neither kill nor be killed. True jnana, or spiritual knowledge, reveals that your eternal Self is completely untouched by physical actions. Do not let maya, the illusion of worldly identification, trick you into grieving for what cannot truly die.
Translation
2.19 He who deems It (the self) a slayer, and he who thinks of It as slain - both are ignorant. For, the self neither slays nor is slain.
Meaning
The Self is nondoer (Akarta) and as It is immutable. It is neither the agent nor the object of the act of slaying. He who thinks I slay or I am slain with the body or the Ahamkara (ego) he does not really comprehend the true nature of the Self. The Self is indestructible. It exists in the three periods of time. It is Sat (Existence). When the body is destroyed the Self is not destroyed. The body has to undergo change in any case. It is inevitable. But the Self is not at all affected by it. Verses 19 20 21 23 and 24 speak of the immortality of the Self or Atman. (Cf. XVIII.17)
Word by word
यः he who एनम् this (Self) वेत्ति knows हन्तारम् slayer यः he who च and एनम् this मन्यते thinks हतम् slain उभौ both तौ those न not विजानीतः know न not अयम् this हन्ति slays न not हन्यते is slain.