अर्जुन उवाच
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव
arjuna uvāca
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñameva ca|
etadveditumicchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava||
Arjuna said: Matter and Spirit, even the Field and the Knower of the Field, wisdom and that which ought to be known, these I fain would learn, O Keshava.
This opening verse appears in some recensions of the Gītā; traditional numbering begins at 13.1.
श्री भगवानुवाचइदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः
śrī bhagavānuvācaidaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate|etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ||
Sri Bhagavan said: This body, Arjuna, is termed as the Field (Ksetra); and him who knows it, the sages discerning the truth about both refer to as the knower of the Field (Ksetrajña).
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम
kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata|
kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama||
Know Myself to be the Ksetrajña (individual soul) also in all the Ksetras, Arjuna. And it is the knowledge of Ksetra and Ksetrajña (i.e., of Matter with its evolutes and the Spirit) which I consider as 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||
What that Ksetra is and what it is like; and also what are its evolutes, again, whence is what, and also finally who that Ksetrajña is and what is his glory—hear all this from Me in a nutshell.
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्
ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः
ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak|brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniścitaiḥ||
The truth about the Ksetra and the Ksetrajña has been expounded by the seers in manifold ways; again, it has been separately stated in different Vedic chants and also in the conclusive and reasoned texts of the Brahmasutras.
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च
इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः
mahābhūtānyahaṅkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca|indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ||
The five elements, the ego, the intellect, the Unmanifest (Primordial Matter), the ten organs (of perception and action), the mind, and the five objects of sense (sound, touch, colour, taste and smell);—
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः
एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्
icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṅghātaścetanādhṛtiḥ|etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam||
Also desire, aversion, pleasure, pain the physical body, consciousness, firmness: thus is the Ksetra, with its evolutes, briefly states.
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः
amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam|ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ||
Absence of pride, freedom from hypocrisy, non-violence, forbearance, straightness of body, speech and mind, devout service of the preceptor, internal and external purity, steadfastness of mind and control of body, mind and the senses.
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṅkāra eva ca|janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam||
Dispassion towards the objects of enjoyment of this world and the next, and also absence of egotism, pondering again and again on the pain and evils inherent in birth, death, old age and disease;
असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु
asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu|nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu||
Absence of attachment and the feeling of mineness in respect of son, wife, home etc., and constant equipoise of mind both in favourable and unfavourable circumstances;
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी
विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि
mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī|viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi||
Unflinching devotion to Me through exclusive attachment, living in secluded and holy places, and finding no enjoyment in the company of men;
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा
adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam|etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadatonyathā||
Fixity in self-knowledge and seeing God as the object of true knowledge, all this is declared as knowledge; and what is other than this is called ignorance.
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते
jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā'mṛtamaśnute|
anādimatparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate||
I shall speak to you at length about that which ought to be known, and knowing which one attains supreme Bliss. That supreme Brahma, who is the lord of beginning less entities, is said to be neither Sat (being) nor Asat (non- being).
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति
sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato'kṣiśiromukham|sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati||
It has hands and feet on all sides, eyes, head and mouth in all directions, and ears all round; for it stands pervading all in the universe.
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च
sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam|asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca||
Though perceiving all sense-objects it is, really speaking, devoid of all senses. Nay, though unattached, it is the sustainer of all nonetheless; and though attributeless, it is the enjoyer of qualities (the three modes of Prakrti).
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्
bahirantaśca bhūtānāmacaraṃ carameva ca|sūkṣmatvāttadavijñeyaṃ dūrasthaṃ cāntike ca tat||
It exists without and within all beings, and constitutes the animate and inanimate creation as well. And by reason of Its subtlety. It is incomprehensible; it is close at hand stand afar too.
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च
avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktamiva ca sthitam|bhūtabhartṛ ca tajjñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca||
Though integral like sapce in its undivided aspect. It appears divided as it were in all animate and inanimate beings. And that godhead, which is the only object worth knowing, is the sustainer of beings (as Visnu), the destroyer (as Rudra) and the creator of all (as Brahma).
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्
jyotiṣāmapi tajjyotistamasaḥ paramucyate|jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam||
That supreme Brahma is said to be the light of all lights, and entirely beyond Maya. that godhead is Knowledge itself, worth knowing, and worth attaining through real wisdom, and is particularly seated in the heart of all.
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः
मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते
iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ|madbhakta etadvijñāya madbhāvāyopapadyate||
Thus the truth of the Ksetra and knowledge, as well as of the object worth knowing, God has been briefly discussed; knowing this in reality, My devotee enters into My Being.
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान्
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi|vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisaṃbhavān||
Prakrti and Purusa, know both these as beginningless, and know all modifications such as likes and dislikes etc. and all objects constituted of the three Gunas as born of Prakrti.
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते
kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate|puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate||
Prakrti is said to be responsible for bringing forth the evolutes and the instruments; while the individual soul is declared to be the cause of experience of joys and sorrows.
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु
puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān|kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo'sya sadasadyonijanmasu||
Only the Purusa seated in Prakrti senses objects of the nature of the three Gunas evolved from Prakrti. And it is contact with these Gunas that is responsible for the birth of this soul in good and evil wombs.
उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः
upadraṣṭā'numantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ|
paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe'sminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ||
The Spirit dwelling in this body, is really the same as the Supreme. He has been spoken of as the Witness, the true Guide, the Sustainer of all, the Experiencer (as the embodies soul), the Overlord and the Absolute as well.
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते
ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥ saha|
sarvathā vartamāno'pi na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate||
He who thus knows the Purusa (Spirit) and Prakrti (Nature) together with the Gunas,— even though performing his duties in every way, is never born again.
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना
अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे
dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā|anye sāṃkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare||
Some by meditation behold the supreme Spirit in the heart with the help of their refined and sharp intellect; others realize It through the discipline of Knowledge, and others, again, through the discipline of Action.
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः
anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvā'nyebhya upāsate|te'pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ||
Other dull witted persons, however, not knowing thus, whorship even as they have heard from others; and even those who are thus devoted to hearing, are able to cross the ocean of mundane existence in the shape of death.
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ
yāvatsañjāyate kiñcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam|kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha||
Arjuna, whatsoever being, animate or inanimate, is born, know it as emanated from the union of Ksetra (Matter) and the ksetrajña (Spirit).
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति
samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram|vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati||
He alone truly sees, who sees the supreme Lord as imperishable and abiding equally in all perishable beings, both animate and inanimate.
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्
न हिनस्त्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्
samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram|na hinastyātmanā''tmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim||
For, he who kills not himself by himself be seeing the supreme Lord, equally present in all, as one, thereby reaches the supreme state.
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः
यः पश्यति तथाऽऽत्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ|yaḥ paśyati tathā''tmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati||
And he alone really sees, who sees all actions being performed in every way by Prakrti alone, and the Self as the non-doer.
यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा
yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati|tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā||
The moment man perceives the diversified existence of beings as rooted in the one supreme Spirit, and the spreading forth of all beings from the same, that very moment he attains Brahma (who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss solidified).
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते
anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ|śarīrastho'pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate||
Arjuna, being without beginning and without attributes, this indstructible supreme Spirit, though dwelling in the body, in fact does nothing nor gets contaminated.
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 by reason of its subtlety, so seated everywhere in the body, the Self is not affected by the attributes of the body due to its attributeless character.
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः
क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत
yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ|
kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata||
Arjuna, as the one sun illumines this entire universe, so the one Atma (Spirit) illumines the whole Ksetra (Field).
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्
kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā|
bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param||
They who by the eyes of Wisdom perceive this difference between the Field and the Knower of the Field, and the liberation of beings from Matter they go to the Supreme.