Expanding on the nature of the soul, Kṛṣṇa says, “Know that which pervades the entire body to be indestructible.” What pervades the body? It is consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you feel it. This spread of awareness is the symptom of the soul’s presence. Kṛṣṇa declares that no one can destroy this imperishable soul. Not even the most powerful weapons on the battlefield can touch it. The soul is of a completely different energy than the material body. It is an ‘avyaya’, or an inexhaustible reality. Arjuna is afraid of being a killer, but Kṛṣṇa assures him that on the deepest level, killing the self is a metaphysical impossibility. He can dismantle the body, but he cannot touch the person. This knowledge is intended to remove the fear of causing harm while performing one’s necessary duty.