Chapter 13

अर्जुन उवाच · arjuna uvāca

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च।एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव॥

prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñameva ca |etadveditumicchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava ||

Arjuna 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."

Arjuna asked, "My Lord, who is God, what is Nature, what is Matter, and what is the Self? What is Wisdom, and what is worth knowing? I wish to have this explained."

श्री भगवानुवाच · śrī bhagavānuvāca

इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते।एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः॥

idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate |etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ ||

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."

Lord Shri Krishna replied: O Arjuna! The body of a person is the playground of the Self; and That which knows the activities of Matter, sages call the Self.

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत।क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम॥

kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata |kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama ||

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.

I am the omniscient Self that abides in the realm of matter; knowledge of matter and of the all-knowing Self is wisdom.

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्।स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे श्रृणु॥

tatkṣetraṃ yacca yādṛk ca yadvikāri yataśca yat |sa ca yo yatprabhāvaśca tatsamāsena me śrṛṇu ||

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.

What is called Matter, of what it is composed, whence it came, and why it changes, what the Self is, and what its power - this I will now briefly set forth.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्।ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्िचतैः॥

ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak |brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniśिcataiḥ ||

Sages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.

Seers have sung of it in various ways, in many hymns and sacred Vedic songs, weighty in thought and convincing in their arguments.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः॥

mahābhūtānyahaṅkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca |indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ ||

The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.

The five great fundamentals—earth, fire, air, water, and ether—personality, intellect, the mysterious life force, the ten organs of perception and action, the mind, and the five domains of sensation—

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः।एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥

icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṅghātaścetanādhṛtiḥ |etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam ||

Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, sympathy, vitality, and the persistent clinging to life—these are, in brief, the constituents of changing matter.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥

amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam |ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ ||

Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.

Humility, sincerity, harmlessness, forgiveness, rectitude, service to the Master, purity, steadfastness, and self-control;

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्॥

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṅkāra eva ca |janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam ||

Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.

Renouncing the delights of the senses, being without pride, having a right understanding of the painful problem of birth and death, and of age and sickness;

असक्ितरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु।नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु॥

asakिtaranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu |nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu ||

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.

Indifference, non-attachment to sex, progeny, or home, equanimity in both good fortune and bad;

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्ितरव्यभिचारिणी।विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि॥

mayi cānanyayogena bhakिtaravyabhicāriṇī |viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||

Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.

Unswerving devotion to Me, with concentration on Me and Me alone, a love for solitude, and indifference to social life;

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा॥

adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam |etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadatonyathā ||

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.

Constant yearning for the knowledge of the Self, and pondering over the lessons of the great Truth—this is wisdom; all else is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते।अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते॥

jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā'mṛtamaśnute |anādimatparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate ||

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.

I will now speak to you of that great truth which one ought to know, since by it one will attain immortal bliss—that which is without beginning, the eternal spirit which dwells in me, neither with form nor without it.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्।सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥

sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato'kṣiśiromukham |sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in the worlds, enveloping all.

Everywhere are Its hands and feet; everywhere It has eyes that see, heads that think, and mouths that speak; everywhere It listens; It dwells in all the worlds and envelops them all.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च॥

sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam |asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca ||

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.

Beyond the senses, it yet shines through every sense perception; bound to nothing, it yet sustains everything; unaffected by the qualities, it still enjoys them all.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्॥

bahirantaśca bhūtānāmacaraṃ carameva ca |sūkṣmatvāttadavijñeyaṃ dūrasthaṃ cāntike ca tat ||

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.

It is within all beings, yet outside; motionless yet moving; too subtle to be perceived; far away yet ever near.

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च॥

avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktamiva ca sthitam |bhūtabhartṛ ca tajjñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||

Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.

In all beings, undivided yet living in division, it is the upholder of all, both creator and destroyer alike.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्॥

jyotiṣāmapi tajjyotistamasaḥ paramucyate |jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||

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.

It is the light of lights, beyond the reach of darkness; the wisdom, the only thing worth knowing or that wisdom can teach; the presence in the hearts of all.

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः।मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते॥

iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ |madbhakta etadvijñāya madbhāvāyopapadyate ||

Thus, the field, as well as knowledge and the knowable, have been briefly stated. My devotee, knowing this, enters into My being.

Thus, I have briefly told you what Matter is, the Self worth realizing, and what Wisdom is. He who is devoted to Me knows, and he will assuredly enter into Me.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान्॥

prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi |vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisaṃbhavān ||

Know that Nature (matter) and the Spirit are both beginningless, and know also that all modifications and qualities are born from Nature.

Know further that Nature and God have no beginning, and that differences in character and quality originate from Nature only.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥

kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate |puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate ||

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.

Nature is the law that generates cause and effect; God is the source of all pleasure and pain.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥

puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān |kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo'sya sadasadyonijanmasu ||

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.

God, dwelling in the heart of Nature, experiences the qualities that Nature brings forth; and His affinity towards these qualities is the reason for His living in a good or evil body.

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥

upadraṣṭā'numantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ |paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe'sminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ ||

The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.

Thus, in the body of man dwells the Supreme God; He who sees, permits, upholds, and enjoys is the Highest God and the Highest Self.

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह।सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते॥

ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥsaha |sarvathā vartamāno'pi na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate ||

He who thus knows the Spirit and Matter together with their qualities, in whatever condition he may be, he is not reborn.

He who understands God and Nature, along with her qualities, whatever his condition in life may be, will not come back to earth.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā |anye sāṃkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare ||

Some behold the Self within themselves through meditation, others through the Yoga of knowledge, and still others through the Yoga of action.

Some realize the Supreme by meditating, with its aid, on the Self within; others by pure reason; and still others by right action.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते।तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥

anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvā'nyebhya upāsate |te'pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ ||

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.

Others, again, having no direct knowledge but only hearing from others, still worship, and, if they are true to the teachings, they too will cross the sea of death.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्।क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ॥

yāvatsañjāyate kiñcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam |kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha ||

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.

Wherever life is seen in things movable or immovable, it is the result of the combination of Matter and Spirit.

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥

samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram |vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||

He who sees the Supreme Lord existing truly in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable, sees indeed.

He who can see the Supreme Lord in all beings, the Imperishable amidst the perishable, he is the one who truly sees.

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्।न हिनस्त्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्॥

samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram |na hinastyātmanā''tmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim ||

For he who truly sees the same Lord dwelling everywhere does not destroy the Self by the self; rather, he attains the highest goal.

Beholding the Lord equally in all things, his actions do not mar his spiritual life but lead him to the heights of bliss.

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।यः पश्यति तथाऽऽत्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति॥

prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ |yaḥ paśyati tathā''tmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati ||

He sees, who sees that all actions are performed solely by Nature and that the Self is without action.

He who understands that it is only the Law of Nature that brings action to fruition, and that the Self never acts, alone knows the Truth.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति।तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥

yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati |tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā ||

When a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they then become Brahman.

He who sees the diverse forms of life all rooted in One and growing forth from Him, shall indeed find the Absolute.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः।शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते॥

anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ |śarīrastho'pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||

Being without beginning, devoid of any qualities, the Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Arjuna, neither acts nor is tainted.

The Supreme Spirit, O Prince, is without beginning, has no qualities, and is imperishable. Though it is within the body, it does not act, nor is it affected by action.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथाऽऽत्मा नोपलिप्यते॥

yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate |sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathā''tmā nopalipyate ||

As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.

As space, though present everywhere, remains unaffected due to its subtlety, so too the Self, though present in all forms, retains its purity unalloyed.

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत॥

yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ |kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata ||

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.

As the one Sun illuminates the entire earth, so the Lord illuminates the entire universe.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा।भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्॥

kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā |bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param ||

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.

Those who, with the eyes of wisdom, thus see the difference between Matter and Spirit, and know how to liberate life from the Law of Nature, attain the Supreme.