Chapter 13: Kṣhetra Kṣhetrajña Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field
क्षेत्र-क्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग · 35 verses
Chapter Summary
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.
Verses
- 13.1 — Arjuna said: O Keshava, I wish to understand the nature of Prakriti (Nature) and Purusha (the Enjoyer), the…
- 13.2 — Shri Krishna said: O Arjuna, this body is known as the field, and those who know it are called the knower of…
- 13.3 — O descendant of Bharata, understand that I am the Knower of the field within all fields; and the knowledge…
- 13.4 — Hear from Me in brief what the field is, what its nature is, what its modifications are, where it originates…
- 13.5 — Rishis have sung of this in many ways, in various distinct chants, and also through aphoristic words…
- 13.6 — The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and…
- 13.7 — Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (the physical body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has…
- 13.8 — Humility, unpretentiousness, non-violence, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the spiritual master,…
- 13.9 — Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death,…
- 13.10 — Absence of attachment, absence of identification of the Self with son, wife, home and such, and constant…
- 13.11 — Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste…
- 13.12 — Constancy in Self-knowledge, and the perception of the goal of true knowledge—this is declared to be…
- 13.13 — I shall declare that which is to be known, through which one attains immortality; the beginningless Supreme…
- 13.14 — Everywhere are His hands and feet, everywhere His eyes, heads, and faces; His ears are everywhere. In this…
- 13.15 — Shri Krishna says: He shines by the functions of all the senses, yet He is devoid of the senses. He is…
- 13.16 — It exists both within and outside all beings, among the moving and the non-moving. Because it is subtle, it…
- 13.17 — It is undivided, yet It appears to be divided among beings; It is to be known as the sustainer of all…
- 13.18 — He is the Light of all lights, said to be beyond the darkness of ignorance. He is the knowledge, the object…
- 13.19 — Thus the field of activities, as well as the process of knowledge and the object of knowledge, have been…
- 13.20 — Know that Nature (Prakriti) and the individual soul (Purusha) are both beginningless; and know also that all…
- 13.21 — Nature is said to be the cause of all physical effects and causes, while the individual soul is said to be…
- 13.22 — The soul seated in Nature experiences the qualities born of Nature; attachment to the qualities is the cause…
- 13.23 — The Supreme Lord Krishna says: 'The Supreme Soul within this body is also known as the Witness, the…
- 13.24 — He who thus realizes the Spirit (Purusha) and Matter (Prakriti) together with its modes (gunas), though he…
- 13.25 — Some perceive the Supreme Self within their hearts through the practice of meditation, others through the…
- 13.26 — Others, who do not possess this direct knowledge, worship by hearing from others; having taken refuge in…
- 13.27 — O best of the Bharatas, know that whatever being is born, whether moving or unmoving, it arises from the…
- 13.28 — He who perceives the Supreme Lord Krishna residing equally in all beings, the Imperishable within the…
- 13.29 — He who perceives the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, dwelling everywhere, does not degrade the…
- 13.30 — He truly sees, who perceives that all actions are performed by material Nature (Prakriti) alone and that the…
- 13.31 — When a seeker perceives the diverse existence of all beings as established in the One and witnesses how they…
- 13.32 — O Arjuna, being beginningless and devoid of any material qualities, this Supreme Self is imperishable.…
- 13.33 — As the all-pervading ether, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, so the Self, though…
- 13.34 — Just as the one sun illuminates the entire world, so too does the Lord of the field, the Supreme Self,…
- 13.35 — Those who perceive with the eye of knowledge the distinction between the field and the knower of the field,…