क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग

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

The Supreme Lord said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field (kshetra), and one who knows it is called by the knowers of truth the knower of the field (kshetrajna).

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

Know Me also, O Bharata, to be the knower of the field in all fields. The knowledge of the field and its knower is, in My view, true knowledge.

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

What that field is, of what nature, what its modifications are, from where it arises, and who the knower is and what his influence is — hear this from Me in brief.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् । ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ॥

This has been sung in many ways by the sages, described separately in various Vedic hymns, and also set forth conclusively in the reasoned aphorisms of the Brahma Sutras.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥

The five great elements, ego, intellect, the unmanifest, the eleven senses (the ten senses and the mind), and the five objects of the senses —

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः । एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate of body and mind, consciousness, and firmness — thus the field, along with its modifications, has been briefly described.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् । आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥

Humility, freedom from pretension, non-violence, patience, honesty, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-control —

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च । जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ॥

Detachment from sense objects, absence of ego, and repeated reflection on the suffering inherent in birth, death, old age, and disease,

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु । नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ॥

Non-attachment, absence of clinging to son, wife, home and the like, and constant equanimity of mind in the face of desirable and undesirable events,

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥

Unwavering devotion to Me through undivided yoga, a preference for solitary places, and a distaste for the company of crowds,

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥

Constancy in the knowledge of the Self, and perception of the true purpose of the knowledge of truth — this is declared to be knowledge, and whatever is contrary to this is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते । अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥

Now I shall explain that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality. It is the beginningless Supreme Brahman, said to be neither being nor non-being.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, and ears everywhere, it exists, enveloping everything in this world.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् । असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥

It illumines the functions of all the senses, yet is without any senses; unattached, yet sustaining all; without qualities, yet the enjoyer of the qualities.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च । सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥

It exists outside and inside all beings, both moving and unmoving; being subtle, it is beyond ordinary comprehension, both far away and yet near at hand.

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् । भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ॥

Undivided, yet appearing as if divided among beings, that which is to be known is also the sustainer of beings, and both their devourer and their originator.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥

It is said to be the light of all lights, beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and that which is attained through knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.

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

Thus the field, knowledge, and the object of knowledge have been briefly explained. My devotee, having understood this fully, becomes fit to attain My nature.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि । विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥

Know that both material nature and the individual spirit are without beginning, and know that the modifications and the gunas arise from material nature.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥

Material nature is said to be the cause of bodies and organs, while the individual spirit is said to be the cause of the experience of pleasure and pain.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥

The spirit, dwelling in material nature, experiences the qualities born of nature. Attachment to these qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः । परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥

The Supreme Spirit dwelling in this body is also called the witness, the permitter, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.

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

One who understands the spirit and material nature together with its qualities in this way, whatever mode of life he may lead, is not born again.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥

Some perceive the Self within themselves by the self through meditation, others through the yoga of knowledge (Sankhya), and still others through the yoga of action.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते । तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ॥

Yet others, not knowing this themselves, worship having heard it from others; even they, devoted to what they have heard, cross beyond death.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥

Whatever being is born, whether moving or unmoving, know that, O best of the Bharatas, to arise from the union of the field and the knower of the field.

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् । विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥

One who sees the imperishable Supreme Lord dwelling equally in all perishable beings truly sees.

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

Seeing the Lord equally present everywhere, one does not degrade the self by the self, and thereby attains the highest goal.

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

One who sees that actions are performed entirely by material nature alone, and that the self is not the doer, truly sees.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥

When one perceives the diverse existence of beings as resting in one, and understands that their expansion arises from That alone, one then attains Brahman.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः । शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥

Being without beginning and without qualities, this imperishable Supreme Self, though dwelling in the body, neither acts nor is tainted, O son of Kunti.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते । सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ॥

As the all-pervading ether, due to its subtlety, is not tainted by anything, so the Self, though present everywhere in the body, is never tainted.

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

Just as the one sun illuminates this entire world, so does the knower of the field illuminate the entire field, O Bharata.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥

Those who, with the eye of knowledge, thus perceive the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, and the liberation of beings from material nature, attain the Supreme.