Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 5, Verse 19

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

An argument may come that one who views equally things that are unequal do what is forbidden in the Vedic scriptures; so how can they be known as wise. Gautama has said that one should treat equals and unequals with difference and equality respectively for when equals are not honoured in the same manner as each other and unequals are honoured in the same way as equals then one reaps demerits in this life and the next. Lord Krishna responds to this with the words ihaeva meaning in this very life exemplifies that it possible in this very existence to achieve the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence and conquer samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. But who is able to achieve this? Lord Krishna declares that those whose minds are established in equanimity, The reason being that the Brahman is equal and constant thus those with equal vision towards all have partaken of the quality of the Brahman. The statement by Gautama of reaping demerits is only true before one has realised the Brahman throughout every aspect of creation.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Here Lord Krishna is praising those evolved beings who have achieved equanimity of mind.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

The word ihaiva means even here in this very life while engaged in karma yoga or the performance of prescribed Vedic activities followed by the words jitah sargo meaning conquers creation in the form of terminating samsara or the endless cycle of birth and death in the material existence. This is the result for one situated in the equanimity of perceiving the atma or soul as equal in all living entities, they become fixed in the atma itself. Then one becomes established in the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence which is indeed victory over samsara. Lord Krishnas purport is that those who have realised the eternal atma within themselves and within all living entities are indeed enligtened beings and have attained moksa or liberation from material existence. How one performing karma yoga becomes eligible to achieve this apex ascending omniscience of atma perception is revealed next.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Just as it is impossible for one in a room full of smoke to avoid being affected and influenced; similarly for one existing in this transmigratory world of birth and death it is impossible to avoid being affected and influenced. So how then is it possible to remain untouched in this strange world of continuous rebirth into new physical bodies? Lord Krishna uses the words ihaiva in this very life to emphasise that those who have equal vision by perception of the atma or eternal soul residing equally in all beings partake of its eternal transcendental nature and thus have ended the cycle of transmigration and are untouched by reactions to actions which hurls one incessantly into the material existence. Those who are bewildered and infatuated with delusion experience this world as unfathomable and become recipients of samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Those who achieve atma tattva or realisation of the soul and perceive the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence as well attain victory over rebirth into this transmigratory world and moksa or liberation from the material existence.

The atma or soul has been declared to be imperishable having indestructible attributes. It is always untouched by qualities of the physical body and the subtle body and is unmodifiable and eternal. Although the atma exists in the bodies of all types of beings and this includes demi-god, human, animal, plant and fish; the atma or soul is never present within a genetically created clone, neither can the atma ever be artificially manipulated to reside in the body of a genetically created clone.