Bhagavad-gītā 2.19
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्। उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।।2.19।।
ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaśh chainaṁ manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
He who takes the Self to be the slayer, he who takes It to be the slain, neither of these knows. It does not slay, nor is It slain.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| yaḥ | one who |
| enam | this |
| vetti | knows |
| hantāram | the slayer |
| yaḥ | one who |
| cha | and |
| enam | this |
| manyate | thinks |
| hatam | slain |
| ubhau | both |
| tau | they |
| na | not |
| vijānītaḥ | in knowledge |
| na | neither |
| ayam | this |
| hanti | slays |
| na | nor |
| hanyate | is killed |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from yaḥ (one who), ubhau (both), and hanyate (is killed). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.19.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
He who takes the Self to be the slayer, he who takes It to be the slain, neither of these knows
- 2
It does not slay, nor is It slain
- 3
yaḥ: one who
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: ya enaṁ / ubhau tau.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.19, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.19 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.19 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.19 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.19, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition