Shloka 14
हतं हन्ति हतो होव यो नरो हन्ति कठ्चन । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो यश्न हन्ति हतश्ष यः
hataṃ hanti hato hova yo naro hanti kaścana | ubhau tau na vijānīto yaś ca hanti hataś ca yaḥ ||
قال شَكرا: «إنّ الرجل الذي يقتل غيره هو في الحقيقة “مقتول” سلفًا؛ إنما يضرب ما هو “مقتول” أصلًا. فالقاتل والمقتول كلاهما لا يعرفان الآتْمَن (ātman)؛ لأنّ الآتْمَن ليس فاعل القتل ولا مفعوله.»
श॒क्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that violence is rooted in ignorance of the ātman: the Self is not truly killed and is not the true doer of killing. Therefore, both the killer and the killed are described as lacking Self-knowledge, and the ethical thrust is to turn from harm toward insight and restraint.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and liberation, Śakra (Indra) delivers a reflective teaching that reframes killing through the lens of the imperishable Self, emphasizing that ordinary notions of slayer and slain arise from misunderstanding.