Prabhupada 0636 - Those who are Learned, they do not make Such Distinction, That it has No Soul
Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973
Therefore, this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehī, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Because he's paṇḍita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe (BG 5.18). Within the first-class learned brāhmaṇa, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, śuni—śuni means the dog—caṇḍāla, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya bhārata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Kṛṣṇa or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni (BG 2.30). Again, He says, sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi (BG 2.30). It is your duty. Kṛṣṇa is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed. In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.
For a kṣatriya who are engaged in fighting, in religious fight... Fight must be religious fight. The cause must be right. Then the fighting is all right. So kṣatriya killing in the religious fight, he's not responsible, he's not sinful. That is stated. Just like brāhmaṇa. He sacri... He puts in sacrifice some animal. That does not mean he's killing. Similarly, kṣatriya, when he's engaged in killing, he's not sinful. This will be explained in the next verse. "So it your duty. Don't be worried that you are killing your kinsmen or your grandfather. Take it from Me, assurance, that the dehī, avadhya, you cannot kill, he's eternal." Now, dehe sarvasya bhārata, this important point you should note it that every living entity, the body has grown on the platform of the spirit soul. The body may be very gigantic or very small, it doesn't matter. But... Therefore matter is produced or grows on the platform of spirit. Not that a spirit comes into existence, or living force come into existence by the combination of matter. This is scientific point. Matter is dependent on spirit. Therefore, it is called inferior. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Dhāryate, it bears. The spirit is there; therefore, the gigantic universe is resting on the spirit. Either the supreme spirit Kṛṣṇa, or the small spirit. There are two kinds of spirit. Ātmā and paramātmā. Īśvara and parameśvara.