Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga

इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते । एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः॥ 13:1॥

O, Son of Kunti! By the knowers of the Truth, this body is called a "Field" (where good and evil acts are sown and reaped). The one who knows the Field is called by them the "Knower of the Field." (13:1)

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम॥ 13:2॥

O, the Descendant of King Bharata! Know that inside all these Fields (i.e., all the bodies), I am seated as their soul (Kshetrajna or Knower of the Field). The Knowledge of the Truth of the Kshetra and the Kshetrajna—the body and the soul—is the ultimate Knowledge, in my view. (13:2)

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् । स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु॥ 13:3॥

Listen in a nutshell from Me what the Field (body or matter) is, what its interiority is, what its variations are, what its source is, what the Knower of the Field—the soul—is, and what the soul's potencies are. (13:3)

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् । ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः॥ 13:4॥

Sages have sung in diverse poetic forms about the body (Kshetra) and the soul (Kshetrajna). The Brahmasutra has also elucidated these topics in its well-reasoned and conclusive aphorisms. (13:4)

महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः॥ 13:5॥

The great {five} cosmic elements (Mahābhuta), false ego (Ahamkara), intelligence (Buddhi), as also the Unmanifested (Avyakta) {space}, the ten senses (Indriya) and one {mind}, and the five objects of the five senses (Indriyagochara),^1 (13:5)

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं संघातश्चेतना धृतिः । एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥ 13:6॥

Desire and aversion, joy and sorrow, the assemblage (the body—a combination of various organs and other components), intelligence, and the capacity to hold experiences—this, in brief, is the Field, along with its modifications. (13:6)

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् । आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥ 13:7॥

Absence of too high a self-esteem, lack of deceitfulness, non-violence, forbearance, righteousness, dedication to the teacher, purity {of the body and mind}, steadfastness and self-control; (13:7)

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च । जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्॥ 13:8॥

Lack of inclination to indulge in sensory pleasures, absence of arrogance or egoism, contemplation on the drawbacks of birth, death, aging, illness, and suffering; (13:8)

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु। नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु॥ 13:9॥

Absence of attachment, freedom from excessive involvement in family, home, and the like, and a continuing even-mindedness toward situations favorable and adverse; (13:9)

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि॥ 13:10॥

Walking a spiritual path (Yoga) solely aimed at reaching Me, unwaveringly practicing pure and unadulterous love for Me, seeking solitude {for undisturbed contemplation upon Me}, and having no attraction to gatherings; (13:10)

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा॥ 13:11॥

Steadfastness in spiritual Knowledge, {which encompasses understanding the Self's distinction from matter and the material body, as well as recognizing its unity with God} along with a clear understanding of the purpose of Truth-seeking, constitutes Knowledge. Anything contrary to this signifies Ignorance. (13:11)

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते । अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते॥ 13:12॥

I will reveal the object of Knowledge, the attainment of which leads to Immortality. It is God, the Supreme (Brahm), eternal and beyond the realms of good (Sut^2 ) and evil (Asut). (13:12)

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥ 13:13॥

With His hands and feet all around, eyes, mouth, and ears on all sides, He pervades the world, enveloping all. (13:13)

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् । असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च॥ 13:14॥

He perceives everything sensed by all organs without possessing any organs himself; He sustains and nurtures all {His creations} without being attached to them; He transcends the three Modes of Nature (Gunas) yet experiences them {as the Self within the body}. (13:14)

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च । सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्॥ 13:15॥

He is outside all beings and also inside them {as their soul}. He is the Unmoving (inert) and the Moving (animate). He is too subtle to be precisely known, simultaneously distant and intimately close. (13:15)

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् । भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च॥ 13:16॥

Even though God-the-Supreme (Brahm) appears to be divided into various beings {as different individual souls}, He is {in reality} Indivisible. He is Knowable, and {therefore, we know that} He is the One who sustains, creates, and wraps up everything. (13:16)

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्॥ 13:17॥

He is the Light of lights, said to be beyond the darkness. He is {of the essence of} Knowledge, the Object of Knowledge, and the Goal of Knowledge. He is nestled in the hearts of all. (13:17)

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः । मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते॥ 13:18॥

In this manner, the Field (body, matter, manifest Nature), Knowledge, and the Object of Knowledge (God-the-Supreme) have been succinctly explained. By internalizing these concepts, My devotee becomes one with My Being. (13:18)

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि । विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान्॥ 13:19॥

Understand that Prakriti (the physical universe in both unmanifest and manifest forms) and Purusha (the soul and God) are both without a beginning. Recognize that the various forms and triadic substances (composed of the three Modes of Nature) that emerge in the process of Creation originate from Prakriti (Nature). (13:19)

कार्यकरणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥ 13:20॥

Prakriti (Nature) is regarded as the source of effects, mechanisms, and agency, while Purusha (the soul) is the reason of experiences of pleasure and pain. (13:20)

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥ 13:21॥

Residing within the realm of Nature (the body), the Purusha becomes the consumer of the triadic materials produced by Nature, and its connectivity with the three Modes of Nature (SattvaGuna, RajoGuna, TamoGuna) becomes the determining factor for its reincarnation in various species, both good and bad. (13:21)

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः । परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥ 13:22॥

He, who is the Witness, Allower, Sustainer, and Possessor^5 of all, often referred to as the Great Lord and God-the-Supreme, resides within this body (Kshetra) as the soul (Purusha)! (13:22)

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते॥ 13:23॥

The person who comprehends Purusha (a portion of God in the form of the soul) and Prakriti (Nature) with its three Modes is not born again, even if they have diligently fulfilled all their worldly duties. (13:23)

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥ 13:24॥

To discern the Self (soul) in the self (heart) by the self (purified mind), some men follow the Path of Meditation, others the Path of Knowledge, and still, others the Path of Unattached Action. (13:24)

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते । तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥ 13:25॥

Yet others, bereft of this knowledge {of the various spiritual paths}, worship God, hearing from others. Such sincere and reverent {Nirvāna-loving} listeners too cross {the ocean of} death-bound existence. (13:25)

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ॥ 13:26॥

O, Bharata Scion! Whichever moving (like humans) and stationary (like trees) beings are produced, you should know them all to be a combination of Prakriti (Nature, Field) and Purusha (soul, Knower of the Field). (13:26)

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् । विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥ 13:27॥

One who perceives God equally in the form of the imperishable soul, which survives the destruction of perishable bodies in different beings, truly perceives the Truth. (13:27)

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् । न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्॥ 13:28॥

Indeed, he, who, seeing God present everywhere and in every living being, does not allow himself to be degraded by his {lower} self, attains the supreme state of existence. (13:28)

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः । यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति॥ 13:29॥

The one who comprehends that all actions are carried out by Nature (the pseudo-self created by Nature) in various ways and sees the true Self (soul) as a non-actor, they grasp the Truth. (13:29)

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥ 13:30॥

When a person perceives the unity of different existences of various beings in the One (the same God) and comprehends that all beings emanate from that One (God), they attain Brahm (God-the-Supreme) upon reaching this state. (13:30)

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः । शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते॥ 13:31॥

O, Son of Kunti! Because of having no beginning and being beyond Modes of Nature (the three Gunas), that Imperishable God, despite being lodged in the body, neither engages in actions nor gets entangled {in them}. (13:31)

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते । सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते॥ 13:32॥

Just as the all-encompassing sky, being subtle, does not get tainted {by the objects it encompasses}, the {One) Self that is present in everybody, remains unblemished by kārmic impurities. (13:32)

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः । क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत॥ 13:33॥

O Descendant of King Bharata! Just as the same sun illuminates the entire world, similarly, the Lord of the Field (God) enlightens the entire Field (the bodies of all beings) with the radiance of consciousness. (13:33)

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्॥ 13:34॥

In this way, those who can see with the eye of wisdom the difference between the body (Nature) and the master of the body (soul), and {the conditions and methods of} deliverance from Nature, attain the Supreme Station (Nirvāna). (13:34)