The Yoga of Distinction Between the Field and the Knower

अर्जुन उवाच |...

Arjuna said: O Keshava, I wish to know about Prakriti and Purusha, the Field and the Knower of the Field, knowledge and the object of knowledge.

श्रीभगवानुवाच |...

The Blessed Lord said: This body, O Kaunteya, is called the Field (Kshetra); one who knows it, those who know this call the Knower of the Field (Kshetrajna).

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत |...

And know Me as the Kshetrajna (Knower of the Field) in all fields, O Bharata. Knowledge of the Field and the Knower of the Field — that, I hold, is true knowledge.

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् |...

Hear briefly from Me what the Field is, what its nature is, what its modifications are, whence it comes, who the Knower of the Field is, and what His power is.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् |...

This has been sung by sages in many ways and in various Vedic hymns separately, and also in the well-reasoned and conclusive words of the Brahma-sutras.

महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च |...

The great elements, the ego (ahankara), the intellect (buddhi), the Unmanifest (Avyakta), the eleven senses (ten senses + mind), and the five sense objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) —

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः |...

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (of body and senses), consciousness, and fortitude — this, in brief, is declared to be the Field with its modifications.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् |...

Humility, unpretentiousness, non-violence, forbearance, uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control —

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च |...

Dispassion toward sense objects, absence of ego, seeing the evil and suffering in birth, death, old age, and disease —

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु |...

Non-attachment, non-identification with children, spouse, home, and so forth; constant equanimity of mind in both desirable and undesirable events —

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी |...

Unswerving devotion to Me through undivided yoga; inclination toward solitary places; distaste for the company of the masses —

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् |...

Constant engagement with the knowledge of the Self; seeing the goal as the knowledge of the ultimate truth — all this is declared as knowledge. Whatever is contrary to this is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते |...

I will now declare what is to be known — knowing which one attains immortality. It is the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is said to be neither existent (sat) nor non-existent (asat).

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् |...

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, with ears everywhere — That exists, encompassing all in the world.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् |...

Shining forth through the functions of all the senses, yet without any senses; unattached, yet the sustainer of all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of the qualities —

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च |...

It is outside and inside all beings; it is the unmoving and also the moving. It is unknowable because of its subtlety. It is far away and also near at hand.

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् |...

Undivided, yet appearing as if divided in all beings; It is to be known as the sustainer, devourer, and generator of all beings.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते |...

That is the Light of all lights, said to be beyond darkness; It is knowledge, the knowable, and that which is attained through knowledge — seated in the heart of all.

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः |...

Thus, in brief, have I described the Field, knowledge, and the knowable. My devotee, understanding this, attains My state of being.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि |...

Know that both Prakriti (Nature) and Purusha (Consciousness) are beginningless; and know that the modifications and the gunas arise from Prakriti.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते |...

Prakriti is said to be the cause in the matter of doing (of cause and effect); Purusha is said to be the cause in the matter of experiencing pleasure and pain.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् |...

The Purusha, dwelling in Prakriti, experiences the gunas born of Prakriti. Attachment to the gunas is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः |...

The Supreme Purusha in this body is also called the Witness, the Permitter, the Sustainer, the Experiencer, the Great Lord, and the Supreme Self (Paramatma).

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह |...

One who thus knows the Purusha and Prakriti together with the gunas, in whatever way they live, is never born again.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना |...

Some perceive the Self within the self through meditation; others through the yoga of knowledge (Sankhya); and yet others through the yoga of action (Karma Yoga).

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते |...

But others, not knowing thus, worship having heard it from others — they too cross beyond death, devoted to what they have heard.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् |...

Whatever being is born — moving or unmoving — know that it arises from the union of the Field and the Knower of the Field, O Chief of the Bharatas.

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् |...

One who sees the Supreme Lord dwelling equally in all beings, and the Imperishable within the perishable — that person truly sees.

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् |...

Seeing the Lord equally present everywhere, one does not injure the Self by the self — and thereby reaches the Supreme destination.

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः |...

One who sees that all actions are performed in every way by Prakriti alone, and that the Self is the non-doer — that person truly sees.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति |...

When one perceives the diversity of all beings as resting in the One, and the expansion of all from That alone — then one attains Brahman.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः |...

Being beginningless and without qualities, the imperishable Supreme Self, though dwelling in the body, O Kaunteya, neither acts nor is tainted.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |...

Just as all-pervading space is not tainted because of its subtlety, so the Self, though pervading all bodies, is not tainted.

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः |...

Just as the one sun illumines this entire world, so the Knower of the Field illumines the entire Field, O Bharata.