Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 13 Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah

Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - Constant engagement in self-knowledge and vision of the goal of knowledge. This is declared as knowledge, and what is contrary to it is ignorance.

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् |
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ||11||

Constant engagement in self-knowledge and vision of the goal of knowledge. This is declared as knowledge, and what is contrary to it is ignorance.

Adhyatma-jnana: Knowledge of the self.
Tattva-jnana: Knowledge of reality or truth.
Darshana: Vision or insight.

Krishna elaborates on self-knowledge and insight into ultimate truths as the pinnacle of wisdom. By contrasting it with ignorance, this verse bridges practical virtues and philosophical understanding.

Bookmark removed

Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - I shall explain what is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality. It is beginningless, supreme Brahman, said to be neither existent nor non-existent.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्रुते |
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ||12||

I shall explain what is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality. It is beginningless, supreme Brahman, said to be neither existent nor non-existent.

Brahman: The supreme reality or absolute.
Anadi: Without beginning.
Amrita: Immortal or eternal.

The supreme Brahman, described here as beyond existence and non-existence, invites contemplation of the ultimate reality. This shloka prepares Arjuna to grasp the profound nature of the unmanifest and its omnipresence.

Bookmark removed

Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, it hears everything and pervades everything in the world.

सर्वत: पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् |
सर्वत: श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ||13||

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, it hears everything and pervades everything in the world.

Pani: Hands symbolizing omnipresence.
Padam: Feet representing universal reach.
Shruti: Hearing or perception.

The imagery of omnipresence conveys the divine’s all-encompassing nature. Krishna gently expands Arjuna’s understanding of divinity, emphasizing its immanence and transcendence in every aspect of creation.

Bookmark removed

Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yogah - Shining through the functions of all the senses yet free from the senses, unattached yet sustaining all, and free from qualities yet enjoying them.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् |
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ||14||

Shining through the functions of all the senses yet free from the senses, unattached yet sustaining all, and free from qualities yet enjoying them.

Nirguna: Without qualities or attributes.
Guna-bhoktri: The enjoyer of qualities.
Asakta: Unattached or free.

This verse challenges the duality of attachment and detachment by presenting the divine as both within and beyond qualities. It urges the seeker to reconcile opposites, seeing unity in diversity.

Bookmark removed

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.

Bookmark removed

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.

Bookmark removed

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.

Bookmark removed