Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna said: O Keshava, I wish to know about prakriti (nature), purusha (the enjoyer), the field (kshetra), the knower of the field (kshetrajna), knowledge, and the object of knowledge.

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: O son of Kunti, this body is called the field (kshetra), and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field (kshetrajna) by those who know the truth.

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत |

O scion of Bharata, know Me also as the knower in all fields. The knowledge of the field and its knower — that, in My opinion, is true knowledge.

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् |

Now hear from Me in brief what the field is, what it is like, what its modifications are, where it comes from, who the knower of the field is, and what his powers are.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् |

This knowledge of the field and its knower has been sung by various sages in many ways, described in various Vedic hymns, and especially established with reasoning in the aphorisms of the Brahma Sutra.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च |

The five great elements, false ego, intelligence, the unmanifest, the ten senses and the mind, the five objects of the senses, desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate body, consciousness, and conviction — all these together, with their modifications, are considered to be the field of activities.

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः |

Desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate body, consciousness, and conviction — all these together, with their modifications, are considered to be the field of activities.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् |

Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness, and self-control —

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च |

Detachment from the objects of the senses, absence of false ego, and the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age, and disease —

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु |

Non-attachment, absence of over-affection for son, wife, home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness upon the attainment of the desirable and the undesirable —

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी |

Constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, and detachment from the general mass of people —

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् |

Constancy in self-knowledge, perception of the goal of knowledge of truth — all this is declared to be knowledge, and what is contrary to this is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते |

I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. Brahman, the spirit, beginningless and subordinate to Me, lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.

सर्वतःपाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् |

Everywhere are His hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Supersoul exists, pervading everything in the world.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् |

The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of material nature, and at the same time He is the master of all the modes of material nature.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च |

The Supreme Truth exists outside and inside all living beings, the moving and the nonmoving. Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् |

Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते |

He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is said to be knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's heart.

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः |

Thus the field of activities (the body), knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this fully and thus attain My nature.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि |

Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of nature are products of material nature.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते |

Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् |

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः |

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul (Paramatma).

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह |

One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity, and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present condition.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना |

Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others through the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through working without selfish desire (karma yoga).

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते |

Yet others, who do not have spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. They too, devoted to hearing from authorities, cross beyond the path of death.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् |

O best of the Bharatas, whatever being is born — whether moving or non-moving — know it to be a combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् |

One who sees the Supreme Lord present equally in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable — that person truly sees.

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् |

One who sees the Lord equally present everywhere does not degrade the self by the mind, and thus attains the supreme destination.

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः |

One who sees that all actions are performed by material nature alone, and that the self does nothing — that person truly sees.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति |

When a wise person ceases to see different identities due to different bodies, and sees how beings are expanded everywhere, he attains the Brahman conception.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः |

O son of Kunti, the imperishable Supreme Soul, being beginningless and beyond the material modes, neither acts nor is tainted — even while dwelling in the body.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |

Just as the all-pervading sky is never tainted due to its subtle nature, so the soul, though situated everywhere in the body, is never tainted.

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः |

O son of Bharata, just as one sun illuminates the entire universe, so the soul — the knower of the field — illuminates the entire body with consciousness.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा |

Those who see with the eye of knowledge the difference between the body and its knower, and also the liberation of beings from material nature — they attain the Supreme.