Meaning
Supreme God Krishna spoke
Those who believe the soul can be the aggressor or the victim labor under delusion; for the soul neither inflicts nor suffers harm. (2:19)
Sanskrit
श्रीभगवान् उवाच
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् ।
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ॥
Word-by-word
यः एनम् वेत्ति हन्तारम्, यः च एनम् मन्यते हतम्—
उभौ तौ न वि-जानीतः, न अयम् हन्ति न हन्यते।
Commentary
This statement refers to the true Self, the soul, in contrast to the empirical self-created by Nature consisting of the physical body, mind, ego, and intelligence. According to the teachings, the “false”, empirical self is the one responsible for actions and the subsequent experiences, while the true Self remains unaffected, as God will elaborate later.