Chapter 13 · 35 verses

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग

Kṣetra Kṣetrajña Vibhāga Yoga

The Yoga of the Field & the Knower of the Field

Krishna distinguishes the field (the body and matter, kshetra) from the knower of the field (the soul, kshetrajna). He defines true knowledge, the nature of Prakriti and Purusha, and how liberation comes from discerning them.

Theme: Matter, spirit and the discrimination between them

All Shlokas (Shloka 1–35)

35 verses

13.1
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna 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."
13.2
श्री भगवानुवाचइदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते।एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः॥The 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."
13.3
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत।Do 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.
13.4
तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्।स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे श्रृणु॥Hear 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.
13.5
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्।ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्िचतैः॥Sages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.
13.6
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः॥The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.
13.7
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः।एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.
13.8
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.
13.9
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्॥Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.
13.10
असक्ितरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु।नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु॥Non-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 undesirable.
13.11
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्ितरव्यभिचारिणी।विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि॥Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.
13.12
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा॥Constancy 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.
13.13
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते।अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते॥I will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is neither being nor non-being.
13.14
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्।सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in the worlds, enveloping all.
13.15
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च॥Shining 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.
13.16
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्॥It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.
13.17
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च॥Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.
13.18
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्॥That Light of all lights is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
13.19
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः।मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते॥Thus, the field, as well as knowledge and the knowable, have been briefly stated. My devotee, knowing this, enters into My being.
13.20
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान्॥Know that Nature (matter) and the Spirit are both beginningless, and know also that all modifications and qualities are born from Nature.
13.21
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥In 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 responsible.
13.22
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥The 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.
13.23
उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
13.24
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह।सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते॥He who thus knows the Spirit and Matter together with their qualities, in whatever condition he may be, he is not reborn.
13.25
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥Some behold the Self within themselves through meditation, others through the Yoga of knowledge, and still others through the Yoga of action.
13.26
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते।तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥Others, 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.
13.27
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्।क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ॥Wherever 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.
13.28
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥He who sees the Supreme Lord existing truly in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable, sees indeed.
13.29
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्।न हिनस्त्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्॥For he who truly sees the same Lord dwelling everywhere does not destroy the Self by the self; rather, he attains the highest goal.
13.30
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।यः पश्यति तथाऽऽत्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति॥He sees, who sees that all actions are performed solely by Nature and that the Self is without action.
13.31
यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति।तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥When a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they then become Brahman.
13.32
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः।शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते॥Being without beginning, devoid of any qualities, the Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Arjuna, neither acts nor is tainted.
13.33
यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथाऽऽत्मा नोपलिप्यते॥As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.
13.34
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत॥Just as the one sun illuminates the entire world, so too does the Lord of the field (Supreme Self) illuminate the entire field, O Arjuna.
13.35
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा।भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्॥They 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.