CHAPTER THIRTEEN
KṢETRA-KṢETRAJÑA-YOGA
MATTER AND SPIRIT
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VERSES 1-7: THE FIELD AND ITS KNOWER
13.1
Arjuna says:
O Kṛṣṇa, I desire to learn about the Self and about material nature, about the Field and its Knower, about knowledge and the goal of knowledge.
śrī arjuna uvāca
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetrajñam eva ca |
etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava ||
13.2
Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
This body, O Arjuna, is called the Field (kṣetra). One who has knowledge of this is called the ‘Knower of the Field’ (Kṣetrajña), by the enlightened ones.
śrī Bhagavān uvāca
idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ityabhidhīyate |
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetrajñā iti tad vidaḥ ||
13.3
And you should also understand that I am the Knower in all the Fields (as well as the inner Self), O Arjuna. In My view, this knowledge of the Field and (both) its Knowers is the highest knowledge.
kṣetrajñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva kṣetreṣu bhārata |
kṣetra kṣetrajñayor-jñānaṁ yat tajjñānam mataṁ param ||
13.4
Now, learn briefly from Me about the Field, what its nature is, what changes it undergoes, and which one of these comes from the other; also learn about the Knower of the Field and what His influence is.
tat kṣetraṁ yacca yādr̥k ca yad vikāri yataśca yat |
sa ca yo yat prabhāvaśca tat samāsena me śr̥ṇu ||
13.5
This knowledge has been sung about by the sages in different ways, through various distinctive hymns of the Vedas. It has also been expressed through conclusive arguments in the Brahma-sūtras.
ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak |
brahma-sūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ ||
13.6
The principle elements, the ego, the intellect, the unmanifested, the ten senses, the five objects of the senses;
mahā-bhūtāny-ahaṅkāro buddhir-avyaktam eva ca |
indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca pañca cendriya gocarāḥ ||
13.7
Attraction, aversion, pleasure and pain, the different faculties of the body, consciousness and one’s resolve, is briefly what composes the Field, and the various transformations it undergoes.
icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaścetanā dhṛtiḥ |
etat kṣetraṁ samāsena savikāram udāhṛtam ||
VERSES 8-12: KṚṢṆA DESCRIBES TRUE KNOWLEDGE
13.8
Being free from pride and deceit, humility, not harming, patience, integrity, service of the Master, purity, steadfastness and self-restraint;
amānitvam adambhitvam ahimṣā kṣāntir ārjavam |
ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucam sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ ||
13.9
Being detached from sense objects, rising above the sense of ego, seeing the misery of birth, death, old age and suffering;
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam anahaṅkāra eva ca |
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha doṣānudarśanam ||
13.10
Being without attachment and entanglement for son, wife, home and other such things; being equal-minded.
asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu |
nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭān-iṣṭopapattiṣu ||
13.11
Having exclusive undeviating devotion to Me; being in solitude, having aversion from mundane society;
mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir-avyabhicāriṇī |
vivikta deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi ||
13.12
Having constant dedication to the path of Self-realisation and the goal of Truth – all of this should be considered ‘knowledge’ and everything else is ignorance.
adhyātmajñāna nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha darśanam |
etajjñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yadato’nyathā ||
VERSES 13-19: THE OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE: THE SUPERSOUL
13.13
I shall now explain what one must strive to know. Once this is realised, one attains immortality. That object of knowledge is beginning-less, it is Brahman which is dependent on Me; it is said to be neither existing nor non-existing.
jñeyaṁ yattat pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtam aśnute |
anādi mat-paraṁ brahma na sattannāsad ucyate ||
13.14
Its hands and feet are everywhere; Its eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; Its ears are on all sides; and It exists, pervading all things.
sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato’kṣiśiro-mukham |
sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvam āvr̥tya tiṣṭhati ||
13.15
It illumines the senses while remaining unconnected with the sense organs; It is detached and yet supports all; It is free from the guṇas and yet it experiences the guṇas.
sarvendriya guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya vivarjitaṁ |
asaktaṁ sarva bhr̥ccaiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktr̥ ca ||
13.16
It is inside and outside all beings; It is moving yet unmoving; It is so subtle that no one can comprehend It; It is far away, and yet so very near.
bahir-antaśca bhūtānām acaraṁ caram eva ca |
sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūrasthaṁ cāntike ca tat ||
13.17
It is one and yet appears divided among living beings. That which must be known is the sustainer of all living beings. It devours them and brings them back into existence.
avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktaṁ iva ca sthitaṁ |
bhūtabhartr̥ ca tajjñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||
13.18
It is the light of all lights, beyond all darkness. It is knowledge itself, the object of knowledge and it can be attained through knowledge; It is present in the hearts of all beings.
jyotiṣām api tajjyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate |
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hr̥di sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||
13.19
In this way I have briefly explained the Field, knowledge and the object of knowledge. Upon realising this, My devotee attains that supreme relationship with Me.
iti kṣetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ coktaṁ samāsataḥ |
mad bhakta etad vijñāya mad bhāvāyopapadyate ||
VERSES 20-24: THE SELF WITHIN MATERIAL NATURE
13.20
Know that both material nature and the Self are without beginning, and all the transformations and guṇas arise from this material nature.
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api |
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān ||
13.21
Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects. The embodied soul, however, is said to be the cause of the various pleasures and pain experienced.
kārya kāraṇa kartr̥tve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate |
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktr̥tve hetur ucyate ||
13.22
The Self which is situated in material nature experiences the effects of the different guṇas that arise from it. Entanglement to these guṇas is the cause of higher and lower births.
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān |
kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo'sya sad-asad yoni janmasu ||
13.23
But within the body, supreme to the Self, there is another One that is called the Witness, the One who grants permission, the Supporter, the Enjoyer, the Great Lord, the Supersoul.
upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ |
paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe’ smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ ||
13.24
One who understands the spiritual and material nature along with its guṇas, is not born again, regardless of their situation.
ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha |
sarvathā vartamāno’pi na sa bhūyo’bhijāyate ||
VERSES 25-35: DIFFERENT WAYS TO PERCEIVE THE SUPERSOUL
13.25
Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves by meditation, others through gaining knowledge, and still others by karma-yoga.
dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid ātmānam ātmanā |
anye sāṅkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare ||
13.26
Then there are those who do not follow any of these paths, but having heard teachings from others, they devote themselves to the Supreme and they too pass beyond death.
anye tvevam ajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate |
te’pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṁ śruti parāyaṇāḥ ||
13.27
O Arjuna, whatever comes into being, be it moving or non-moving, only arises through a combination of the Field and the Knower of the Field.
yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvaṁ sthāvara jaṅgamam |
kṣetra kṣetrajña saṁyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣabha ||
13.28
Whoever sees the Supreme, dwelling alike in all bodies and never perishing despite the body doing so, truly sees.
samaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṁ parameśvaram |
vinaśyatsv-avinaśyantaṁ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||
13.29
One who sees the Supreme as equally existing in every place, does not degrade the Self by the mind. Therefore, they reach the highest goal.
samaṁ paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśvaram |
na hinasty-ātmanātmānam tato yāti parāṁ gatim ||
13.30
One who sees that the Self does nothing and all action is done by material nature alone, truly sees.
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ |
yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśyati ||
13.31
When one understands that the difference and individuality of all beings is rooted and expanded from one Being, he realises Brahman.
yadā bhūta pṛthag bhāvam ekastham anupaśyati |
tathaiva ca vistāram brahma saṁpadyate tadā ||
13.32
O Arjuna, this Supreme Self is without beginning and is unchanging. Though It is in the body, It is free from the guṇas; It neither acts nor is It stained by action.
anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ |
śarīrastho’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||
13.33
As all-pervading space is never affected by anything because of its subtle nature, so too the Self dwelling in the body is not tainted by the body.
yathā sarvagataṁ saukṣmyād-ākāśaṁ nopalipyate |
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||
13.34
As the Sun alone illumines this whole world, Arjuna, so too does the Knower of the Field illumine the whole Field.
yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kr̥tsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ |
kṣetraṁ kṣetrī tathā kr̥tsnaṁ prakāśayati bhārata ||
13.35
Those with the eye of wisdom, who can perceive the difference between the Field and the Knowers of the Field, and how beings can be liberated from material nature — they attain the Supreme.
kṣetra kṣetrajñayor-evam antaraṁ jñāna-cakṣuṣā |
bhūta prakṛti-mokṣaṁ ca ye vidur-yānti te param ||
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