Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 13 Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च |
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ||15||

Outside and inside all beings, immovable and also movable; it is so subtle it cannot be known, and is far yet near.

Bhuta: Beings or elements of creation.
Sukshmatva: Subtlety or minuteness.
Durastam: Far away, yet near.

By describing the subtle and all-pervading nature of the divine, Krishna emphasizes its accessibility despite its abstractness. This highlights the need for refined perception to discern the supreme reality.

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अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् |
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ||16||

Though indivisible, it appears as divided among beings. It is the sustainer of beings, devourer, and originator.

Avibhakta: Undivided or indivisible.
Grasishnu: Devourer or absorber.
Prabhavisnu: Creator or originator.

The apparent division within beings is reconciled by understanding the indivisible nature of the supreme. This verse reinforces the unity underlying all existence, urging Arjuna to move beyond surface appearances.

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Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - It is the light of lights, beyond darkness, knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge, and is established in the hearts of all.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमस: परमुच्यते |
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||17||

It is the light of lights, beyond darkness, knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge, and is established in the hearts of all.

Jyoti: Light or illumination.
Tamas: Darkness or ignorance.
Jnana: Knowledge or understanding.

Light as a metaphor for knowledge emphasizes the role of enlightenment in dispelling ignorance. Krishna connects the supreme with the heart of all beings, emphasizing its intimate yet universal nature.

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इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासत: |
मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ||18||

Thus, the field, knowledge, and the knowable have been briefly described. Knowing this, My devotee attains My state.

Moksha: Liberation or freedom.
Bhakti: Devotion or surrender.
Madbhava: The state of attaining Krishna.

The culmination of the description of the field and its knower underscores the path to liberation. Krishna directs attention to the transformative power of this knowledge in transcending worldly attachments.

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Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - Know both nature and the soul as beginningless. Know also that all transformations and qualities arise from nature.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि |
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ||19||

Know both nature and the soul as beginningless. Know also that all transformations and qualities arise from nature.

Prakriti: Nature or material energy.
Vikara: Transformations of nature.
Gunas: Qualities of nature, such as sattva, rajas, and tamas.

The eternal interplay between nature and the soul is presented as foundational to existence. This verse sets the stage for deeper exploration of their roles in the creation and evolution of life.

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Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - In the production of effects and causes, nature is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is said to be the cause.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतु: प्रकृतिरुच्यते |
पुरुष: सुखदु:खानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ||20||

In the production of effects and causes, nature is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is said to be the cause.

Karya: Actions or effects.
Karana: Cause or instrument.
Purusha: The soul or the enjoyer.

The dual causality of nature and the soul highlights their distinct but interdependent roles. Krishna clarifies that while nature is the doer, the soul experiences the outcomes, maintaining its neutrality.

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Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - The soul seated in nature experiences the qualities born of nature. Attachment to these qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

पुरुष: प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङक्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् |
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ||21||

The soul seated in nature experiences the qualities born of nature. Attachment to these qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

Gunas: Qualities derived from nature.
Sanga: Attachment to qualities.
Yonija: Born of specific wombs.

The soul’s attachment to qualities of nature explains its entanglement in the cycle of birth and death. Krishna subtly introduces the concept of liberation through detachment from these qualities.

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