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नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: |
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुत: || 23||
Weapons cannot harm the soul, fire cannot burn the soul. Water cannot wet and the wind cannot dry the soul.
The eternal essence is indestructible and that is the truth but intellect may fail to grasp that wisdom. It might question: what would happen if the physical body is harmed when the soul is present in it? The harm inflicted on the physical body may reflect on the soul that resides within that physical body. But, no harm can be inflicted on the eternal essence that is our true and real identity.
Bhagwan Shri Krishna highlights that no weapons, known and unknown to human kind can harm the soul. Even the fire cannot burn the soul. The fire that holds the capacity of turning lush green forests into a pile of ashes and has the capacity of annihilating millions of people in a matter of seconds via the Nuclear bomb is inapt to harm or burn the soul.
Similarly, the water that can lay havoc in the form of a tsunami or flood can not even wet the soul, let alone destroy the soul. Also, wind/air is unable to dry the soul. Thus, our true identity that is indestructible and eternal, cannot be destroyed. By highlighting the imperishable nature of the soul, Bhagwan Shri Krishna tries to uplift Arjuna from the grieving state that he was in due to misplaced identity.
