Shloka 24
कर्मयोग–ज्ञानयज्ञ–अवतारोपदेश
Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yajña, and Avatāra Instruction
अच्छेद्योडयमदाह्मोडयमक्लेद्यो5शोष्य एव च | नित्य: सर्वगत: स्थाणुरचलो5यं सनातन:
acchedyo ’yam adāhyo ’yam akledyo ’śoṣya eva ca | nityaḥ sarvagataḥ sthāṇur acalo ’yaṁ sanātanaḥ ||
Sañjaya reports the teaching that the Self (ātman) cannot be cut, cannot be burned, cannot be wetted, and cannot be dried. It is eternal, all-pervading, immovable, steadfast, and primeval. In the moral crisis of impending war, this affirms that the true Self is untouched by bodily harm, urging steadiness of mind and freedom from grief and fear while acting according to dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The ātman is indestructible and unaffected by physical elements (weapons, fire, water, drying). Recognizing this supports equanimity and moral courage: one should not collapse into grief or fear over bodily death, but act with steadiness in accordance with dharma.
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s Gītā dialogue, the teaching about the imperishable Self is being conveyed to address the warrior’s despair before battle. Sañjaya, narrating to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reports this doctrine as part of the counsel meant to restore resolve and clarity.