Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13: Field and Knower

Bhagavad Gita chapter 13 in English

Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
13.1 इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते। एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः॥ idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate \| etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ \|\|	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 understand this.
13.2 क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत। क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम॥ kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata \| kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama \|\|	Me do you also know, O descendant of Bharata, to be Kshetrajna in all Kshetras. The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajna is considered by Me to be the knowledge.
13.3 तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्। स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु॥ tatkṣetraṃ yacca yādṛk ca yadvikāri yataśca yat \| sa ca yo yatprabhāvaśca tatsamāsena me śṛṇu \|\|	What the Kshetra is truly, what its properties are, what are its modifications, what effects arise from what causes, and also who He is and what His powers are, that hear from Me in brief.
13.4 ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्। ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः॥ ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak \| brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniścitaiḥ \|\|	(This truth) has been sung by rishis in many ways, in various distinctive chants, in passages indicative of Brahman, full of reasoning, and convincing.
13.5 महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च। इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः॥ mahābhūtānyahaṅkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca \| indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ \|\|	The field consists of the five great elements, ego, intellect, the unmanifest, the ten senses and the mind, and the five objects of the senses.
13.6 इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः। एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्॥ icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṅghātaścetanādhṛtiḥ \| etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam \|\|	Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the body-mind aggregate, consciousness, and firmness are the field briefly described with its modifications.
13.7 अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्। आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः॥ amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam \| ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ \|\|	Knowledge includes humility, sincerity, non-harm, forbearance, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-control.
13.8 इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च। जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्॥ indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṅkāra eva ca \| janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam \|\|	Knowledge also includes dispassion toward sense objects, freedom from egoism, and reflection on the suffering in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.
13.9 असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु। नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु॥ asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu \| nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu \|\|	It includes nonattachment, freedom from possessive identification with children, spouse, home, and the rest, and steady evenness amid desired and undesired events.
13.10 मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी। विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि॥ mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī \| viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi \|\|	It includes unwavering devotion to Me through undivided yoga, a preference for solitude, and disinterest in worldly crowds.
13.11 अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्। एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा॥ adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam \| etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadato’nyathā \|\|	Constant application to spiritual knowledge, understanding of the end of true knowledge: this is truly declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.
13.12 ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते। अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते॥ jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute \| anādimatparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate \|\|	I shall describe that which has to be known, knowing which one attains to immortality, the beginningless Supreme Brahman. It is known as neither being nor non-being.
13.13 सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्। सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति॥ sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato’kṣiśiromukham \| sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati \|\|	With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, mouths, and ears everywhere, That pervades the whole universe.
13.14 सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्। असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च॥ sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam \| asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca \|\|	Appearing through the functions of all the senses, yet without any senses. unattached, yet sustaining all; beyond the guṇas, yet experiencing the guṇas.
13.15 बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च। सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्॥ bahirantaśca bhūtānāmacaraṃ carameva ca \| sūkṣmatvāttadavijñeyaṃ dūrasthaṃ cāntike ca tat \|\|	Without and within (all) beings. the unmoving and also the moving; because of Its subtlety incomprehensible; It is far and near.
13.16 अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्। भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च॥ avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktamiva ca sthitam \| bhūtabhartṛ ca tajjñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca \|\|	Impartible, yet It exists as if divided in beings: It is to be known as sustaining beings. and devouring, as well as generating (them).
13.17 ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते। ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्॥ jyotiṣāmapi tajjyotistamasaḥ paramucyate \| jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam \|\|	The Light even of lights, It is said to be beyond darkness; Knowledge, and the One Thing to be known, the goal of knowledge, dwelling in the hearts of all.
13.18 इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः। मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते॥ iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ \| madbhakta etadvijñāya madbhāvāyopapadyate \|\|	Thus Kshetra, knowledge, and that which has to be known, have been briefly stated. Knowing this, My devotee is truly fitted for My state.
13.19 प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि। विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान्॥ prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi \| vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisambhavān \|\|	Know you that prakriti and Purusha are both beginningless; and know you also that all modifications and guṇas are born of prakriti.
13.20 कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते। पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते॥ kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate \| puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate \|\|	In the production of the body and the senses, prakriti is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, Purusha is said to be the cause.
13.21 पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्। कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु॥ puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān \| kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo’sya sadasadyonijanmasu \|\|	Purusha seated in prakriti, experiences the guṇas born of prakriti; the reason of his birth in good and evil wombs is his attachment to the guṇas.
13.22 उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः। परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः॥ upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ \| paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe’sminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ \|\|	Also, the Supreme Purusha in this body is also called the Looker-on, the Permitter, the Supporter, the Experiencer, the Great Lord, and the Highest Self.
13.23 य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह। सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते॥ ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥsaha \| sarvathā vartamāno’pi na sa bhūyo’bhijāyate \|\|	One who thus knows the Purusha and prakriti together with the guṇas, whatever his life, is not born again.
13.24 ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना। अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे॥ dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā \| anye sāṅkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare \|\|	Some by meditation behold the Self in their own intelligence by the purified heart, others by the path of knowledge, others again by karma yoga.
13.25 अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते। तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः॥ anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate \| te’pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ \|\|	Others again not knowing thus, worship as they have heard from others. Even these go beyond death, regarding what they have heard as the Supreme refuge.
13.26 यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ॥ yāvatsañjāyate kiñcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam \| kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha \|\|	Whatever being is born, the moving or the unmoving, O bull of the Bharatas, know it to be from the union of Kshetra and Kshetrajna.
13.27 समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्। विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥ samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram \| vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati \|\|	One truly sees who sees the Supreme Lord present equally in all beings, the deathless within the dying.
13.28 समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्। न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्॥ samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram \| na hinastyātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim \|\|	Since seeing the Lord equally existent everywhere, he injures not Self by self, and so goes to the highest goal.
13.29 प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः। यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति॥ prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ \| yaḥ paśyati tathātmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati \|\|	He sees, who sees that all actions are done by prakriti alone and that the Self is actionless.
13.30 यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति। तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥ yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati \| tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā \|\|	When one sees all separate beings resting in the One and expanding from that One alone, one becomes Brahman.
13.31 अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः। शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते॥ anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ \| śarīrastho’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate \|\|	Being without beginning and devoid of guṇas, this Supreme Self, immutable, O son of Kunti, though existing in the body neither acts nor is affected.
13.32 यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते। सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते॥ yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate \| sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate \|\|	Just as the all-pervading space is truly not tainted because of its subtlety, so the Self, though present in every body, is not tainted.
13.33 यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः। क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत॥ yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ \| kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata \|\|	As the one sun illumines all this world, so does One who abides in the Kshetra, O descendant of Bharata, illumine the whole Kshetra.
13.34 क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा। भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्॥ kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā \| bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param \|\|	They who thus with the eye of knowledge perceive the distinction between the Kshetra and the Kshetrajna, and also the emancipation from the prakriti of beings, they go to the Supreme.

You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 13 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.

Previous chapter: Chapter 12: The Way of Devotion. Next chapter: Chapter 14: The Three Guṇas.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13: Field and Knower

Bhagavad Gita chapter 13 in English

Questions people ask

Sources

Bhagavad Gita chapter 13 in English

Related reading

Questions people ask

Sources