The Field and Its Knowerक्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च।
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव॥

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca,
etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava.

I wish to know about nature and spirit, about the field and the knower of the field, and about knowledge and what is to be known, O Keshava.

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

idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate,
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ.

This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field. The one who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know the truth of these things.

Live it todayYour body is the field; you are the one who knows it.

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

kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata,
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama.

Know me also as the knower of the field in every field, O Bharata. The knowledge of the field and of its knower: that, in my view, is true knowledge.

Live it todayThe One who knows you from within knows every heart.

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

tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca yad-vikāri yataś ca yat,
sa ca yo yat-prabhāvaś ca tat samāsena me śṛṇu.

Hear from me in brief what the field is, what it is like, what changes it goes through and where it comes from; and who its knower is, and what his powers are.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्।
ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः॥

ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak,
brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ.

The sages have sung of this in many ways, separately in varied sacred hymns, and also in the reasoned and decisive words of the Brahma Sutras.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।
इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः॥

mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktam eva ca,
indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca pañca cendriya-gocarāḥ.

The great elements, the sense of I, the intellect and the unmanifest; the ten senses and the mind; and the five objects that the senses perceive.

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः।
एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥

icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaś cetanā dhṛtiḥ,
etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam.

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the bodily whole, awareness and resolve: this, in brief, is the field together with its changes.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥

amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam,
ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ.

Humility, absence of pretence, non-violence, patience, uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness and self-control.

Live it todayCharacter is a list of small habits, not one grand act.

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्॥

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam anahaṅkāra eva ca,
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam.

Detachment from the objects of the senses, freedom from ego, and a clear, repeated look at the pain and flaw in birth, death, old age and sickness.

Live it todayRemembering that life is brief loosens the grip of small wants.

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु।
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु॥

asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu,
nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu.

Non-attachment, no clinging to son, wife, home and the like, and a constant evenness of mind whether the wanted or the unwanted comes.

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी।
विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि॥

mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī,
vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi.

Unwavering devotion to me through a yoga that turns to nothing else, a liking for quiet places, and no taste for the crowd.

Live it todayMake a little room each day for quiet time with the Divine.

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा॥

adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam,
etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yad ato-nyathā.

Constancy in knowledge of the Self and insight into the goal of knowing the truth: all this is called knowledge, and whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.

Live it todayReal knowledge shows up as character, not as information.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते।
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते॥

jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā ‘mṛtam aśnute,
anādimat paraṁ brahma na sat tan nāsad ucyate.

I will now describe what is to be known, knowing which one tastes immortality. It is the beginningless supreme Brahman, said to be neither being nor non-being.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥

sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ‘kṣi-śiro-mukham,
sarvataḥ śrutimal loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati.

Its hands and feet are everywhere; its eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; its ears are everywhere. It stands enveloping all that is in the world.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च॥

sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam,
asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca.

It shines through the workings of all the senses, yet is free of every sense; unattached, yet it sustains all; beyond the qualities of nature, yet it experiences them.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्॥

bahir antaś ca bhūtānām acaraṁ caram eva ca,
sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ cāntike ca tat.

The Supreme is outside and inside all beings, unmoving and also moving. Being subtle, it cannot be grasped; it is far away, and it is also near.

Live it todayWhat you seek is both far beyond you and nearer than your breath.

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

avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam,
bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca.

Undivided, it yet seems to stand divided among beings. Know it as the sustainer of all beings, the one who devours them and the one who brings them forth.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्॥

jyotiṣām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate,
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam.

That Supreme is the light of all lights, said to be beyond darkness. It is knowledge, what is to be known and the goal of knowing, dwelling in the heart of all.

Live it todayOn dark days, remember a light within you that darkness cannot reach.

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

iti kṣetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ coktaṁ samāsataḥ,
mad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate.

Thus the field, knowledge and what is to be known have been told in brief. My devotee, understanding this, comes to my own state of being.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान्॥

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api,
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-saṁbhavān.

Know that nature and spirit are both without beginning, and know that all changes and all the qualities are born of nature.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥

kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate,
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate.

In matters of effect, cause and agency, nature is said to be the source. In the experiencing of pleasure and pain, the spirit is said to be the source.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān,
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu.

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

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥

upadraṣṭā ‘numantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ,
paramātmeti cāpy ukto dehe ‘smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ.

The Supreme Spirit in this body is called the witness, the one who consents, the sustainer, the experiencer, the great Lord, and also the Supreme Self.

Live it todayYou are never alone; a silent witness lives within you.

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

ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha,
sarvathā vartamāno ‘pi na sa bhūyo ‘bhijāyate.

One who knows spirit, and nature with its qualities, in this way is not born again, however that person may be living.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।
अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid ātmānam ātmanā,
anye sāṁkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare.

Some see the Self within themselves through meditation, by their own inner self; others by the path of knowledge; and others still by the yoga of action.

Live it todayThere is more than one road inward; walk the one that fits you.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥

anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śrutvā ‘nyebhya upāsate,
te ‘pi cātitaranty eva mṛtyuṁ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ.

Others, not knowing these paths, worship after hearing from others. They too, devoted to what they have heard, cross beyond death.

Live it todaySimple faith in what you were taught is a path too.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ॥

yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamam,
kṣetra-kṣetrajña-saṁyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣabha.

Whatever being is born, 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 सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥

samaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṁ parameśvaram,
vinaśyatsv avinaśyantaṁ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati.

One who sees the Supreme Lord dwelling equally in all beings, the undying within the dying, truly sees.

Live it todayLook past the face to the same Divine in everyone you meet.

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

samaṁ paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśvaram,
na hinasty ātmanā ‘ ‘tmānaṁ tato yāti parāṁ gatim.

Seeing the Lord present equally everywhere, one does not harm the self by the self, and so reaches the highest goal.

Live it todayWhen you see the Divine everywhere, you stop working against your own soul.

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

prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ,
yaḥ paśyati tathā ‘ ‘tmānam akartāraṁ sa paśyati.

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

Live it todayDo the work, but do not mistake it for all you are.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति।
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥

yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśyati,
tata eva ca vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā.

When one sees the separate existence of beings as resting in the One, and their spreading forth from that One alone, then one attains Brahman.

Live it todayBehind every difference, look for the one source we all share.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः।
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते॥

anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ,
śarīra-stho ‘pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate.

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

Live it todaySomething in you stays clean through every mistake.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथाऽऽत्मा नोपलिप्यते॥

yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣmyād ākāśaṁ nopalipyate,
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathā ‘ ‘tmā nopalipyate.

As all-pervading space, being subtle, is never stained, so the Self, present in every body, is never stained.

Live it todayLike the sky through passing smoke, you remain untouched within.

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

yathā prakāśayaty ekaḥ kṛtsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ,
kṣetraṁ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṁ prakāśayati bhārata.

As the one sun lights up this whole world, so the one who dwells in the field lights up the whole field, O Bharata.

Live it todayYour awareness is the sun that lights every corner of your life.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा।
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्॥

kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-cakṣuṣā,
bhūta-prakṛti-mokṣaṁ ca ye vidur yānti te param.

Those who, with the eye of knowledge, see this difference between the field and its knower, and the freeing of beings from nature, reach the Supreme.