The Yoga of the Field and the Knower of the Field

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

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

Shri Krishna says: Arjuna, this body is called the field (kshetra). Those who know the truth call the one who knows it the knower of the field (kshetrajna).

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

tatkṣetraṃ yacca yādṛkca yadvikāri yataśca yat |sa ca yo yatprabhāvaśca tatsamāsena me śṛṇu ||

Hear from me briefly what the field is, what it is like, how it changes and where it comes from; and also who its knower is and what his powers are.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् ।ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ॥

ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak |brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniścitaiḥ ||

This has been sung by the sages in many ways, in many different Vedic hymns, and also in the well reasoned and certain words of the Brahma Sutras.

महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च ।इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥

mahābhūtānyahaṃkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca |indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ ||

The great elements, the sense of 'I' (ahankara), the intellect, the unmanifest, the ten senses and the mind, and the five objects of the senses,

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं संघातश्चेतना धृतिः ।एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥

icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṃghātaścetanā dhṛtiḥ |etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam ||

desire, dislike, pleasure, pain, the body as a whole, awareness and firmness: this, in short, is the field together with its changes.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् ।आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥

amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam |ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ ||

Humility, freedom from show, non-violence, patience, straightforwardness, serving the teacher, purity, steadiness and self-control,

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च ।जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ॥

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṃkāra eva ca |janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam ||

detachment from the objects of the senses, absence of ego, and seeing clearly the pain and flaws of birth, death, old age and sickness,

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु ।नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ॥

asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu |nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu ||

not clinging, not being wrapped up in son, wife, home and the like, and staying even-minded whether wanted or unwanted things happen,

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी ।विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥

mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī |viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||

steady devotion to me through single-minded yoga, a liking for quiet places, and no taste for crowds,

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् ।एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥

adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam |etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadato'nyathā ||

constant focus on knowledge of the Self, and keeping in view the purpose of knowing the truth. This is called knowledge; whatever is opposite to it is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ।अनादि मत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥

jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute |anādi matparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate ||

I will now tell you what is to be known, knowing which one gains immortality: the beginningless supreme Brahman, which is said to be neither 'being' nor 'non-being'.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥

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

Its hands and feet are everywhere; its eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; its ears are everywhere. It stands enfolding everything in the world.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् ।असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥

sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam |asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca ||

It shines through the powers of all the senses, yet it has no senses. It is unattached yet supports everything; it is beyond the gunas, yet it experiences them.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च ।सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥

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

It is outside and inside all beings, both still and moving. Because it is so subtle it is hard to know; it is far away, and yet very 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 ||

It is undivided, yet it seems to be divided among beings. Know it as the one who sustains all beings, takes them back into itself, and brings them forth.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते ।ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥

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

It is the light of all lights and is said to be beyond darkness. It is knowledge, what is to be known, and the goal of knowledge; it dwells in the heart of everyone.

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

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

Thus the field, knowledge and what is to be known have been briefly described. My devotee who understands this becomes fit to reach my state of being.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि ।विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान् ॥

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

Know that prakriti (nature) and purusha (the conscious spirit) are both without beginning. Know also that all changes and the gunas arise from prakriti.

कार्यकरणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥

kāryakaraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate |puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate ||

Prakriti is said to be the cause of the body, its instruments and all doing. Purusha is said to be the cause of the experience of pleasure and pain.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्‌क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥

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

Purusha, seated in prakriti, experiences the gunas born of prakriti. Its attachment to the gunas is the cause of its births in good and bad wombs.

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः ।परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥

upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ |paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe'sminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ ||

The supreme purusha in this body is also called the witness, the one who gives consent, the supporter, the experiencer, the great Lord and the Supreme Self (Paramatma).

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 ||

Whoever truly knows purusha, and prakriti with its gunas, is not born again, however they may be living.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना ।अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā |anye sāṃkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare ||

Some see the Self within themselves through meditation, by their own purified mind; others through the path of knowledge (Sankhya); and still others through the path of action (karma yoga).

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते ।तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ॥

anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate |te'pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ ||

Others, who do not know this themselves, worship after hearing it from others. They too, holding firmly to what they have heard, cross beyond death.

यावत्संजायते किंचित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥

yāvatsaṃjāyate kiṃcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam |kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha ||

Whatever comes into being, moving or unmoving, know that it arises from the union of the field and the knower of the field, O best of the Bharatas.

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

samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram |na hinastyātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim ||

Seeing the same Lord present everywhere, such a person does not harm the Self by the self, and so reaches the highest goal.

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

prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ |yaḥ paśyati tathātmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati ||

One who sees that all actions are done by prakriti alone, and that the Self is not the doer, truly sees.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति ।तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा ॥

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

When a person sees the separate existence of beings as resting in the One, and spreading out from that One alone, then he attains Brahman.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः ।शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥

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

Because it has no beginning and is beyond the gunas, this imperishable Supreme Self, though it dwells in the body, Arjuna, neither acts nor is stained.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते ।सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ॥

yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate |sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||

Just as space, which is everywhere, is not stained because it is so subtle, so the Self present everywhere in the body is not stained.

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 lights up this whole world, so the master of the field lights up the whole field, O Bharata.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा ।भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥

kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā |bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param ||

Those who see with the eye of knowledge the difference between the field and its knower, and how beings are set free from prakriti, reach the Supreme.