Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingवेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्
vedāvināśhinaṁ nityaṁ ya enam ajam avyayam
kathaṁ sa puruṣhaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaO Partha, he who knows this One as indestructible, eternal, birthless, and undecaying—how can that person kill, or cause to be killed, whom?
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
हे पार्थ ! जो पुरुष इस आत्मा को अविनाशी, नित्य और अव्ययस्वरूप जानता है, वह कैसे किसको मरवायेगा और कैसे किसको मारेगा?
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiवेदा विनाशि नन् नित्यम्
य एन मजमव् ययम्
कथं स पुरुष# पार्थ
कङ् घातय ति हन्ति कम्
॥ २१ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthavedaknows
avināśhinamimperishable
nityameternal
yaḥwho
enamthis
ajamunborn
avyayamimmutable
kathamhow
saḥthat
puruṣhaḥperson
pārthaParth
kamwhom
ghātayaticauses to be killed
hantikills
kamwhom
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA2.21How can one who knows the Self as indestructible kill, or cause killing?
O Partha, he who knows this One as indestructible, eternal, birthless, and undecaying—how can that person kill, or cause to be killed, whom?
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.