Chapter 13 of 18
क्षेत्र-क्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaaga Yoga
Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field. 35 verses.
About this chapter
The thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaaga Yoga". The word "kshetra" means "the field", and the "kshetrajna" means "the knower of the field". We can think of our material body as the field and our immortal soul as the knower of the field. In this chapter, Krishna discriminates between the physical body and the immortal soul. He explains that the physical body is temporary and perishable whereas the soul is permanent and eternal. The physical body can be destroyed but the soul can never be destroyed. The chapter then describes God, who is the Supreme Soul. All the individual souls have originated from the Supreme Soul. One who clearly understands the difference between the body, the Soul and the Supreme Soul attains the realization of Brahman.
- 13.1प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च।prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva kṣhetraṁ kṣhetra-jñam eva chaArjuna said, "I wish to learn about Nature and the Spirit, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and that which ought to be known, O Kesava."
- 13.2श्री भगवानुवाचइदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते।śhrī-bhagavān uvāchaThe Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know them."
- 13.3क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत।kṣhetra-jñaṁ chāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣhetreṣhu bhārataDo thou also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both the field and the knower of the field is considered by Me to be the knowledge.
- 13.4तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्।tat kṣhetraṁ yach cha yādṛik cha yad-vikāri yataśh cha yatHear from Me in brief what the field is, of what nature it is, what its modifications are, whence it is, who He is, and what His powers are.
- 13.5ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्।ṛiṣhibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chhandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛithakSages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.
- 13.6महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।mahā-bhūtāny ahankāro buddhir avyaktam eva chaThe great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.
- 13.7इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः।ichchhā dveṣhaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaśh chetanā dhṛitiḥDesire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.
- 13.8अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।amānitvam adambhitvam ahinsā kṣhāntir ārjavamHumility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.
- 13.9इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।indriyārtheṣhu vairāgyam anahankāra eva chaIndifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.
- 13.10असक्ितरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु।asaktir anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛihādiṣhuNon-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness in the face of the attainment of both desirable and…
- 13.11मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्ितरव्यभिचारिणी।mayi chānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhichāriṇīUnswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.
- 13.12अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha-darśhanamConstancy in Self-knowledge, the perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.
- 13.13ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते।jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvāmṛitam aśhnuteI will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is neither being nor non-being.
- 13.14सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्।sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ’kṣhi-śhiro-mukhamWith hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in the worlds, enveloping all.
- 13.15सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitamShining by the functions of all the senses, yet without being attached to them; unattached, yet supporting all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of them.
- 13.16बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva chaIt is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.
- 13.17अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।avibhaktaṁ cha bhūteṣhu vibhaktam iva cha sthitamUndivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.
- 13.18ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyateThat Light of all lights is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
- 13.19इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः।iti kṣhetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ choktaṁ samāsataḥThus, the field, as well as knowledge and the knowable, have been briefly stated. My devotee, knowing this, enters into My being.
- 13.20प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva viddhy anādī ubhāv apiKnow that Nature (matter) and the Spirit are both beginningless, and know also that all modifications and qualities are born from Nature.
- 13.21कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛitve hetuḥ prakṛitir uchyateIn the production of the effect and the cause, Nature (matter) is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is said to be the one…
- 13.22पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇānThe soul seated in Nature experiences the qualities born of Nature; attachment to the qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.
- 13.23उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥThe Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
- 13.24य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह।ya evaṁ vetti puruṣhaṁ prakṛitiṁ cha guṇaiḥ sahaHe who thus knows the Spirit and Matter together with their qualities, in whatever condition he may be, he is not reborn.
- 13.25ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।dhyānenātmani paśhyanti kechid ātmānam ātmanāSome behold the Self within themselves through meditation, others through the Yoga of knowledge, and still others through the Yoga of action.
- 13.26अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते।anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śhrutvānyebhya upāsateOthers, too, who do not know thus, worship, having heard of It from others; they, too, cross beyond death, regarding what they have heard as the supreme refuge.
- 13.27यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्।yāvat sañjāyate kiñchit sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamamWherever a being is born, whether unmoving or moving, know thou, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), that it is from the union of the field and its knower.
- 13.28समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।samaṁ sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu tiṣhṭhantaṁ parameśhvaramHe who sees the Supreme Lord existing truly in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable, sees indeed.
- 13.29समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्।samaṁ paśhyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśhvaramFor he who truly sees the same Lord dwelling everywhere does not destroy the Self by the self; rather, he attains the highest goal.
- 13.30प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥHe sees, who sees that all actions are performed solely by Nature and that the Self is without action.
- 13.31यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति।yadā bhūta-pṛithag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśhyatiWhen a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they then become Brahman.
- 13.32अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः।anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥBeing without beginning, devoid of any qualities, the Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Arjuna, neither acts nor is tainted.
- 13.33यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyateAs the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.
- 13.34यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।yathā prakāśhayaty ekaḥ kṛitsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥJust as the one sun illuminates the entire world, so too does the Lord of the field (Supreme Self) illuminate the entire field, O Arjuna.
- 13.35क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा।kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-chakṣhuṣhāThey who, by the eye of knowledge, perceive the distinction between the field and its knower, as well as the liberation from the Nature of being, go to the Supreme.