अर्जुन उवाच
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च।
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव।।13.1।।

arjuna uvācha
prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva kṣhetraṁ kṣhetra-jñam eva cha
etad veditum ichchhāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ cha keśhava

Word-for-Word Translation

arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; prakṛitim—material nature; puruṣham—the enjoyer; cha—and; eva—indeed; kṣhetram—the field of activities; kṣhetra-jñam—the knower of the field; eva—even; cha—also; etat—this; veditum—to know; ichchhāmi—I wish; jñānam—knowledge; jñeyam—the goal of knowledge; cha—and; keśhava—Krishna, the killer of the demon named Keshi

Meaning

Arjuna said, "I wish to learn about Nature and the Spirit, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and that which ought to be known, O Kesava."

Explanation

Arjuna opens a new inquiry, wanting to understand the relationship between matter (prakriti), the enjoyer (purusha), the field of the body, and the knower within it. This question marks a shift from the earlier chapters' focus on action and devotion toward a clear map of self and world — Krishna is about to draw the line between what changes and who is watching the change.

श्री भगवानुवाच
इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते।
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः।।13.2।।

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
idaṁ śharīraṁ kaunteya kṣhetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣhetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Divine Lord said; idam—this; śharīram—body; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; kṣhetram—the field of activities; iti—thus; abhidhīyate—is termed as; etat—this; yaḥ—one who; vetti—knows; tam—that person; prāhuḥ—is called; kṣhetra-jñaḥ—the knower of the field; iti—thus; tat-vidaḥ—those who discern the truth

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know them."

Explanation

Krishna answers directly: this body — with all its layers of matter, senses, and mind — is simply the "field," the place where life's experiences unfold, while the conscious self who witnesses it is the "knower." Recognizing this distinction is the seed of real self-understanding, because most suffering comes from mistaking the field for the one who knows it.

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम।।13.3।।

kṣhetra-jñaṁ chāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣhetreṣhu bhārata
kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama

Word-for-Word Translation

kṣhetra-jñam—the knower of the field; cha—also; api—only; mām—me; viddhi—know; sarva—all; kṣhetreṣhu—in individual fields of activities; bhārata—scion of Bharat; kṣhetra—the field of activities; kṣhetra-jñayoḥ—of the knower of the field; jñānam—understanding of; yat—which; tat—that; jñānam—knowledge; matam—opinion; mama—my

Meaning

Do thou also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both the field and the knower of the field is considered by Me to be the knowledge.

Explanation

Krishna now reveals that He too is a knower of the field, present as the Supersoul (Paramātmā) in every single body, not only in Arjuna's. Prabhupada is careful to distinguish the two: the individual soul knows only its own particular body, whereas Krishna, as Paramātmā, knows all bodies everywhere — these are not the same "knower" merely differing in degree, but the individual soul and the Supreme Soul remain eternally distinct, however closely they sit together. Real knowledge, Krishna says, means understanding both — the field and both its knowers, individual and Supreme — not collapsing one into the other.

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्।
स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे श्रृणु।।13.4।।

tat kṣhetraṁ yach cha yādṛik cha yad-vikāri yataśh cha yat
sa cha yo yat-prabhāvaśh cha tat samāsena me śhṛiṇu

Word-for-Word Translation

tat—that; kṣhetram—field of activities; yat—what; cha—and; yādṛik—its nature; cha—and; yat-vikāri—how change takes place in it; yataḥ—from what; cha—also; yat—what; saḥ—he; cha—also; yaḥ—who; yat-prabhāvaḥ—what his powers are; cha—and; tat—that; samāsena—in summary; me—from me; śhṛiṇu—listen

Meaning

Hear from Me in brief what the field is, of what nature it is, what its modifications are, whence it is, who He is, and what His powers are.

Explanation

Having stated the principle, Krishna now promises a systematic explanation — what the field is, its nature, its changes, its origin, and the powers of its knower. This verse functions as a table of contents for the philosophical unfolding that follows, showing Krishna's care in building understanding step by step rather than all at once.

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्।
ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः।।13.5।।

ṛiṣhibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chhandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛithak
brahma-sūtra-padaiśh chaiva hetumadbhir viniśhchitaiḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

ṛiṣhibhiḥ—by great sages; bahudhā—in manifold ways; gītam—sung; chhandobhiḥ—in Vedic hymns; vividhaiḥ—various; pṛithak—variously; brahma-sūtra—the Brahma Sūtra; padaiḥ—by the hymns; cha—and; eva—especially; hetu-madbhiḥ—with logic; viniśhchitaiḥ—conclusive evidence

Meaning

Sages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.

Explanation

Krishna reminds Arjuna that this knowledge is not his invention — sages across ages have described the same truth through hymns and reasoned teachings such as the Brahma Sutra. For a practitioner today, this is reassuring: the path being explained rests on a long lineage of tested wisdom, not a passing theory.

महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च।
इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः।।13.6।।

mahā-bhūtāny ahankāro buddhir avyaktam eva cha
indriyāṇi daśhaikaṁ cha pañcha chendriya-gocharāḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

mahā-bhūtāni—the (five) great elements; ahankāraḥ—the ego; buddhiḥ—the intellect; avyaktam—the unmanifested primordial matter; eva—indeed; cha—and; indriyāṇi—the senses; daśha-ekam—eleven; cha—and; pañcha—five; cha—and; indriya-go-charāḥ—the (five) objects of the senses

Meaning

The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.

Explanation

Krishna begins listing the actual components of the field: the gross elements, ego, intelligence, unmanifest matter, the ten senses, the mind, and the five sense objects. This is essentially an inventory of everything a person usually identifies as "me and mine," laid out plainly so it can later be seen as separate from the true self.

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतनाधृतिः।
एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम्।।13.7।।

ichchhā dveṣhaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaśh chetanā dhṛitiḥ
etat kṣhetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛitam

Word-for-Word Translation

ichchhā—desire; dveṣhaḥ—aversion; sukham—happiness; duḥkham—misery; saṅghātaḥ—the aggregate; chetanā—the consciousness; dhṛitiḥ—the will; etat—all these; kṣhetram—the field of activities; samāsena—comprise of; sa-vikāram—with modifications; udāhṛitam—are said

Meaning

Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.

Explanation

This verse completes the inventory begun in the previous one, adding desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the bodily aggregate, consciousness, and conviction — bringing the field's components, as analyzed in Sankhya philosophy, to twenty-four items in all: the five gross elements, ego, intelligence, the unmanifest (pradhana), the ten senses and the mind, the five sense objects, and now these subtler reactions. By naming even our likes, dislikes, and emotional reactions as products of matter rather than the self, Krishna prepares Arjuna to stop over-identifying with his own moods and preferences.

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम्।
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः।।13.8।।

amānitvam adambhitvam ahinsā kṣhāntir ārjavam
āchāryopāsanaṁ śhauchaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

amānitvam—humbleness; adambhitvam—freedom from hypocrisy; ahinsā—non-violence; kṣhāntiḥ—forgiveness; ārjavam—simplicity; āchārya-upāsanam—service of the Guru; śhaucham—cleanliness of body and mind; sthairyam—steadfastness; ātma-vinigrahaḥ—self-control

Meaning

Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.

Explanation

Krishna now turns from describing the field to describing knowledge itself, beginning with humility, freedom from pretense, and nonviolence. Prabhupada explains that these qualities, together with those listed in the verses that follow, are not merely preliminary virtues but constitute knowledge itself — the very process by which real knowledge is developed — so that whatever is contrary to this list is to be understood as ignorance.

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्।।13.9।।

indriyārtheṣhu vairāgyam anahankāra eva cha
janma-mṛityu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣhānudarśhanam

Word-for-Word Translation

indriya-artheṣhu—toward objects of the senses; vairāgyam—dispassion; anahankāraḥ—absence of egotism; eva cha—and also; janma—of birth; mṛityu—death; jarā—old age; vyādhi—disease; duḥkha—evils; doṣha—faults; anudarśhanam—perception

Meaning

Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.

Explanation

The qualities continue with detachment from sense objects, freedom from ego, and clear-eyed awareness of the suffering inherent in birth, death, old age, and disease. Facing these realities honestly, rather than avoiding them, is what motivates a person to seek something more lasting than fleeting sensory life.

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु।
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु।।13.10।।

asaktir anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛihādiṣhu
nityaṁ cha sama-chittatvam iṣhṭāniṣhṭopapattiṣhu

Word-for-Word Translation

asaktiḥ—non-attachment; anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ—absence of craving; putra—children; dāra—spouse; gṛiha-ādiṣhu—home, etc; nityam—constant; cha—and; sama-chittatvam—even-mindedness; iṣhṭa—the desirable; aniṣhṭa—undesirable; upapattiṣhu—having obtained

Meaning

Non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness in the face of the attainment of both desirable and undesirable.

Explanation

Krishna adds non-attachment to family and home along with even-mindedness in success and failure. This is not a call to abandon relationships but to hold them without clinging, so that love for others is no longer tangled up with anxiety about gain and loss.

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी।
विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि।।13.11।।

mayi chānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhichāriṇī
vivikta-deśha-sevitvam aratir jana-sansadi

Word-for-Word Translation

mayi—toward me; cha—also; ananya-yogena—exclusively united; bhaktiḥ—devotion; avyabhichāriṇī—constant; vivikta—solitary; deśha—places; sevitvam—inclination for; aratiḥ—aversion; jana-sansadi—for mundane society

Meaning

Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.

Explanation

Here Krishna names unwavering devotion to Himself, alongside a taste for solitude and detachment from crowds, as part of true knowledge — a striking move, since bhakti is placed right in the middle of what looks like a philosophical list of virtues. Prabhupada stresses that this is deliberate: unalloyed devotional service to Krishna is the actual qualification for liberation, and all the other items in this list are meaningful only when they lead to and are crowned by such devotion.

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम्।
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोन्यथा।।13.12।।

adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha-darśhanam
etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yad ato ’nyathā

Word-for-Word Translation

adhyātma—spiritual; jñāna—knowledge; nityatvam—constancy; tattva-jñāna—knowledge of spiritual principles; artha—for; darśhanam—philosophy; etat—all this; jñānam—knowledge; iti—thus; proktam—declared; ajñānam—ignorance; yat—what; ataḥ—to this; anyathā—contrary

Meaning

Constancy in Self-knowledge, the perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.

Explanation

Krishna sums up the list by saying that constant awareness of the self and a clear vision of life's real purpose is knowledge, and everything opposed to it is ignorance. Prabhupada explains that the twenty items enumerated across the preceding verses together constitute this jnana, so that only one who has actually cultivated them is prepared to understand the object of knowledge, Brahman, which Krishna describes next.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते।
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते।।13.13।।

jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvāmṛitam aśhnute
anādi mat-paraṁ brahma na sat tan nāsad uchyate

Word-for-Word Translation

jñeyam—ought to be known; yat—which; tat—that; pravakṣhyāmi—I shall now reveal; yat—which; jñātvā—knowing; amṛitam—immortality; aśhnute—one achieves; anādi—beginningless; mat-param—subordinate to me; brahma—Brahman; na—not; sat—existent; tat—that; na—not; asat—non-existent; uchyate—is called

Meaning

I will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is neither being nor non-being.

Explanation

Krishna now begins to describe what is to be known — the beginningless Supreme, which cannot be labeled simply as existent or non-existent in the ordinary, material sense. Prabhupada explains that Brahman is called neither sat nor asat because it is spirit, standing beyond the categories that apply to matter, which is temporary and therefore not truly "sat" in the deepest sense; knowing this Supreme, one attains immortality.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम्।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति।।13.14।।

sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ’kṣhi-śhiro-mukham
sarvataḥ śhrutimal loke sarvam āvṛitya tiṣhṭhati

Word-for-Word Translation

sarvataḥ—everywhere; pāṇi—hands; pādam—feet; tat—that; sarvataḥ—everywhere; akṣhi—eyes; śhiraḥ—heads; mukham—faces; sarvataḥ—everywhere; śhruti-mat—having ears; loke—in the universe; sarvam—everything; āvṛitya—pervades; tiṣhṭhati—exists

Meaning

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in the worlds, enveloping all.

Explanation

Krishna describes the Supreme as having hands, feet, eyes, heads, and ears everywhere, pervading the entire universe. Rather than a literal anatomical claim, this poetic imagery conveys that the Supreme's presence and perception are not confined to any single place or form the way ours are.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम्।
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च।।13.15।।

sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛich chaiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛi cha

Word-for-Word Translation

sarva—all; indriya—senses; guṇa—sense-objects; ābhāsam—the perciever; sarva—all; indriya—senses; vivarjitam—devoid of; asaktam—unattached; sarva-bhṛit—the sustainer of all; cha—yet; eva—indeed; nirguṇam—beyond the three modes of material nature; guṇa-bhoktṛi—the enjoyer of the three modes of material nature; cha—although

Meaning

Shining by the functions of all the senses, yet without being attached to them; unattached, yet supporting all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of them.

Explanation

Krishna continues the paradox: the Supreme appears to reflect the qualities of all senses yet is without material senses, is unattached yet sustains everyone, and is beyond the material modes yet somehow their enjoyer. Such statements are meant to loosen Arjuna's ordinary either/or thinking about a reality that transcends every category available to the mind.

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च।
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत्।।13.16।।

bahir antaśh cha bhūtānām acharaṁ charam eva cha
sūkṣhmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ chāntike cha tat

Word-for-Word Translation

bahiḥ—outside; antaḥ—inside; cha—and; bhūtānām—all living beings; acharam—not moving; charam—moving; eva—indeed; cha—and; sūkṣhmatvāt—due to subtlety; tat—he; avijñeyam—incomprehensible; dūra-stham—very far away; cha—and; antike—very near; cha—also; tat—he

Meaning

It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.

Explanation

The Supreme is described as both inside and outside all beings, both moving and unmoving, too subtle to grasp yet simultaneously near and far. This verse deepens the sense of a reality that is intimately present in daily life while also being beyond complete comprehension.

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च।।13.17।।

avibhaktaṁ cha bhūteṣhu vibhaktam iva cha sthitam
bhūta-bhartṛi cha taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣhṇu prabhaviṣhṇu cha

Word-for-Word Translation

avibhaktam—indivisible; cha—although; bhūteṣhu—amongst living beings; vibhaktam—divided; iva—apparently; cha—yet; sthitam—situated; bhūta-bhartṛi—the sustainer of all beings; cha—also; tat—that; jñeyam—to be known; grasiṣhṇu—the annihilator; prabhaviṣhṇu—the creator; cha—and

Meaning

Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.

Explanation

Krishna says the Supreme appears divided among living beings while remaining essentially undivided, and is at once the sustainer, the destroyer, and the creator of all. The image of sunlight entering countless rooms while remaining one source is useful here — diversity in the world does not break the underlying unity.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम्।।13.18।।

jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyate
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛidi sarvasya viṣhṭhitam

Word-for-Word Translation

jyotiṣhām—in all luminarie; api—and; tat—that; jyotiḥ—the source of light; tamasaḥ—the darkness; param—beyond; uchyate—is said (to be); jñānam—knowledge; jñeyam—the object of knowledge; jñāna-gamyam—the goal of knowledge; hṛidi—within the heart; sarvasya—of all living beings; viṣhṭhitam—dwells

Meaning

That Light of all lights is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.

Explanation

Krishna calls the Supreme the light of all lights, beyond the darkness of ignorance, and describes this Supreme as dwelling in the heart of every being as the very object and goal of knowledge. Prabhupada connects this to the Brahma-samhita's description that the sun and moon themselves shine only because they derive their light from Krishna's effulgence, so that even the light we take for granted ultimately points back to Him seated within the heart.

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः।
मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते।।13.19।।

iti kṣhetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ choktaṁ samāsataḥ
mad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

Word-for-Word Translation

iti—thus; kṣhetram—the nature of the field; tathā—and; jñānam—the meaning of knowledge; jñeyam—the object of knowledge; cha—and; uktam—revealed; samāsataḥ—in summary; mat-bhaktaḥ—my devotee; etat—this; vijñāya—having understood; mat-bhāvāya—my divine nature; upapadyate—attain

Meaning

Thus, the field, as well as knowledge and the knowable, have been briefly stated. My devotee, knowing this, enters into My being.

Explanation

Krishna closes this section by summarizing the field, knowledge, and the knowable, then adds that His devotee who understands all this enters into His own being. Prabhupada makes clear that the entire purpose of this jnana is to bring one to bhakti, since dry philosophical understanding by itself cannot grant entrance into Krishna's nature; and "entering His being" means joining His eternal transcendental association as an individual devotee, not losing one's identity by merging into an impersonal existence.

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान्।।13.20।।

prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārānśh cha guṇānśh chaiva viddhi prakṛiti-sambhavān

Word-for-Word Translation

prakṛitim—material nature; puruṣham—the individual souls; cha—and; eva—indeed; viddhi—know; anādī—beginningless; ubhau—both; api—and; vikārān—transformations (of the body); cha—also; guṇān—the three modes of nature; cha—and; eva—indeed; viddhi—know; prakṛiti—material energy; sambhavān—produced by

Meaning

Know that Nature (matter) and the Spirit are both beginningless, and know also that all modifications and qualities are born from Nature.

Explanation

Krishna now explains that both matter (prakriti) and the individual soul (purusha) are without beginning, while all changes and qualities arise from matter alone. This clarifies that the soul itself does not create the modifications of body and mind — those belong entirely to nature, even though the soul experiences them.

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते।।13.21।।

kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛitve hetuḥ prakṛitir uchyate
puruṣhaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛitve hetur uchyate

Word-for-Word Translation

kārya—effect; kāraṇa—cause; kartṛitve—in the matter of creation; hetuḥ—the medium; prakṛitiḥ—the material energy; uchyate—is said to be; puruṣhaḥ—the individual soul; sukha-duḥkhānām—of happiness and distress; bhoktṛitve—in experiencing; hetuḥ—is responsible; uchyate—is said to be

Meaning

In the production of the effect and the cause, Nature (matter) is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is said to be the one responsible.

Explanation

Nature is the cause behind cause and effect — behind bodies, actions, and their results — while the soul is what experiences the resulting pleasure and pain. Understanding this division helps a practitioner see that circumstances arise from nature's workings, while the choice of how to relate to them belongs to the conscious self.

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु।।13.22।।

puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

Word-for-Word Translation

puruṣhaḥ—the individual soul; prakṛiti-sthaḥ—seated in the material energy; hi—indeed; bhuṅkte—desires to enjoy; prakṛiti-jān—produced by the material energy; guṇān—the three modes of nature; kāraṇam—the cause; guṇa-saṅgaḥ—the attachment (to three guṇas); asya—of its; sat-asat-yoni—in superior and inferior wombs; janmasu—of birth

Meaning

The soul seated in Nature experiences the qualities born of Nature; attachment to the qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

Explanation

When the soul identifies with nature, it comes to enjoy the qualities born of matter, and this very attachment is what causes it to take birth in various species and circumstances. This verse quietly explains the mechanics of reincarnation — not as an external punishment, but as a natural consequence of the modes of nature and desires the soul cultivates in this life, which determine the body it receives next.

उपद्रष्टाऽनुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः।।13.23।।

upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ
paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

upadraṣhṭā—the witness; anumantā—the permitter; cha—and; bhartā—the supporter; bhoktā—the transcendental enjoyer; mahā-īśhvaraḥ—the ultimate controller; parama-ātmā—Superme Soul; iti—that; cha api—and also; uktaḥ—is said; dehe—within the body; asmin—this; puruṣhaḥ paraḥ—the Supreme Lord

Meaning

The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the observer, the permitter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.

Explanation

Krishna describes the Paramātmā, the Supreme Soul seated in the body alongside the individual soul, as witness, permitter, sustainer, transcendental enjoyer, and great Lord — never to be confused with the individual jiva, however intimately the two sit together. As permitter, the Supersoul sanctions and witnesses the individual soul's activities without interfering, granting the living entity freedom to act while Himself remaining aloof and untouched; the individual soul's actual freedom and peace come only from turning to this ever-present divine friend within.

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह।
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते।।13.24।।

ya evaṁ vetti puruṣhaṁ prakṛitiṁ cha guṇaiḥ saha
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi na sa bhūyo ’bhijāyate

Word-for-Word Translation

yaḥ—who; evam—thus; vetti—understand; puruṣham—Puruṣh; prakṛitim—the material nature; cha—and; guṇaiḥ—the three modes of nature; saha—with; sarvathā—in every way; vartamānaḥ—situated; api—although; na—not; saḥ—they; bhūyaḥ—again; abhijāyate—take birth

Meaning

He who thus knows the Spirit and Matter together with their qualities, in whatever condition he may be, he is not reborn.

Explanation

One who understands the soul and matter together with their qualities, in whatever situation they find themselves, is not born again. This is a strong assurance that liberation depends not on external circumstance but on clear inner understanding of who one truly is.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना।
अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे।।13.25।।

dhyānenātmani paśhyanti kechid ātmānam ātmanā
anye sānkhyena yogena karma-yogena chāpare

Word-for-Word Translation

dhyānena—through meditation; ātmani—within one’s heart; paśhyanti—percieve; kechit—some; ātmānam—the Supreme soul; ātmanā—by the mind; anye—others; sānkhyena—through cultivation of knowledge; yogena—the yog system; karma-yogena—union with God with through path of action; cha—and; apare—others

Meaning

Some behold the Self within themselves through meditation, others through the Yoga of knowledge, and still others through the Yoga of action.

Explanation

Krishna acknowledges that people attempt this same self-realization through different paths — meditation, philosophical inquiry, or selfless action. Prabhupada notes that these are difficult and relatively indirect processes, generally requiring great endeavor and long practice, which is why Krishna goes on in the next verse to praise a simpler process available even to those who cannot follow these paths.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वाऽन्येभ्य उपासते।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः।।13.26।।

anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śhrutvānyebhya upāsate
te ’pi chātitaranty eva mṛityuṁ śhruti-parāyaṇāḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

anye—others; tu—still; evam—thus; ajānantaḥ—those who are unaware (of spiritual paths); śhrutvā—by hearing; anyebhyaḥ—from others; upāsate—begin to worship; te—they; api—also; cha—and; atitaranti—cross over; eva—even; mṛityum—death; śhruti-parāyaṇāḥ—devotion to hearing (from saints)

Meaning

Others, too, who do not know thus, worship, having heard of It from others; they, too, cross beyond death, regarding what they have heard as the supreme refuge.

Explanation

Even those who do not independently grasp these truths but simply hear about them with faith from a bona fide source and take up worship on that basis are said to cross beyond death. Prabhupada especially recommends this process of hearing, śravaṇam, as the process suited for this age, since sincere hearing about Krishna from a genuine spiritual master can deliver even a person who lacks the philosophical training for meditation or speculative knowledge.

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम्।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ।।13.27।।

yāvat sañjāyate kiñchit sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamam
kṣhetra-kṣhetrajña-sanyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣhabha

Word-for-Word Translation

yāvat—whatever; sañjāyate—manifesting; kiñchit—anything; sattvam—being; sthāvara—unmoving; jaṅgamam—moving; kṣhetra—field of activities; kṣhetra-jña—knower of the field; sanyogāt—combination of; tat—that; viddhi—know; bharata-ṛiṣhabha—best of the Bharatas

Meaning

Wherever a being is born, whether unmoving or moving, know thou, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), that it is from the union of the field and its knower.

Explanation

Krishna states that wherever any being appears, moving or unmoving, it arises from the meeting of the field and its knower. This verse ties the earlier abstract discussion back to the visible world, showing that every form of life is this same union playing out again and again.

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम्।
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति।।13.28।।

samaṁ sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu tiṣhṭhantaṁ parameśhvaram
vinaśhyatsv avinaśhyantaṁ yaḥ paśhyati sa paśhyati

Word-for-Word Translation

samam—equally; sarveṣhu—in all; bhūteṣhu—beings; tiṣhṭhan-tam—accompanying; parama-īśhvaram—Supreme Soul; vinaśhyatsu—amongst the perishable; avinaśhyantam—the imperishable; yaḥ—who; paśhyati—see; saḥ—they; paśhyati—perceive

Meaning

He who sees the Supreme Lord existing truly in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable, sees indeed.

Explanation

True vision, Krishna says, is seeing the imperishable Supreme equally present within all the perishable bodies of the world. This is more than a philosophical claim — it is an invitation to actually look at others, even ordinary or difficult people, and perceive the same eternal presence within them.

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम्।
न हिनस्त्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम्।।13.29।।

samaṁ paśhyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśhvaram
na hinasty ātmanātmānaṁ tato yāti parāṁ gatim

Word-for-Word Translation

samam—equally; paśhyan—see; hi—indeed; sarvatra—everywhere; samavasthitam—equally present; īśhvaram—God as the Supreme soul; na—do not; hinasti—degrade; ātmanā—by one’s mind; ātmānam—the self; tataḥ—thereby; yāti—reach; parām—the supreme; gatim—destination

Meaning

For he who truly sees the same Lord dwelling everywhere does not destroy the Self by the self; rather, he attains the highest goal.

Explanation

One who sees the Lord equally situated everywhere does not degrade the self by the mind, and thereby reaches the supreme goal. Prabhupada explains that seeing every living being's soul as qualitatively equal, though their bodies differ, naturally leads to non-violence and genuine compassion toward all; failing to see this and instead acting in envy or neglect of one's own spiritual welfare is, in effect, a kind of self-degradation that equal vision protects against.

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः।
यः पश्यति तथाऽऽत्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति।।13.30।।

prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ
yaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati

Word-for-Word Translation

prakṛityā—by material nature; eva—truly; cha—also; karmāṇi—actions; kriyamāṇāni—are performed; sarvaśhaḥ—all; yaḥ—who; paśhyati—see; tathā—also; ātmānam—(embodied) soul; akartāram—actionless; saḥ—they; paśhyati—see

Meaning

He sees, who sees that all actions are performed solely by Nature and that the Self is without action.

Explanation

Krishna points out that one who sees all actions as performed by nature alone, with the self remaining actionless, truly sees. This is a subtle but liberating shift: when a person stops crediting or blaming themselves for every outcome of nature's machinery, they can act freely without the weight of false ownership.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति।
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा।।13.31।।

yadā bhūta-pṛithag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśhyati
tata eva cha vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā

Word-for-Word Translation

yadā—when; bhūta—living entities; pṛithak-bhāvam—diverse variety; eka-stham—situated in the same place; anupaśhyati—see; tataḥ—thereafter; eva—indeed; cha—and; vistāram—born from; brahma—Brahman; sampadyate—(they) attain; tadā—then

Meaning

When a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they then become Brahman.

Explanation

When a person sees the vast diversity of living beings as resting in and emanating from the one Supreme, they attain the nature of Brahman. This vision of unity underlying multiplicity is what allows a practitioner to move through a world of differences without losing their grounding in the one source of everything.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः।
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते।।13.32।।

anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
śharīra-stho ’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate

Word-for-Word Translation

anāditvāt—being without beginning; nirguṇatvāt—being devoid of any material qualities; parama—the Supreme; ātmā—soul; ayam—this; avyayaḥ—imperishable; śharīra-sthaḥ—dwelling in the body; api—although; kaunteya—Arjun, the the son of Kunti; na—neither; karoti—acts; na—nor; lipyate—is tainted

Meaning

Being without beginning, devoid of any qualities, the Supreme Self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Arjuna, neither acts nor is tainted.

Explanation

Because the Supreme Self is without beginning and free of material qualities, it remains imperishable and untouched by action even while present within the body. This reassures the seeker that the innermost self is never actually stained by the body's activities, however flawed or difficult those activities might be.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते।
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथाऽऽत्मा नोपलिप्यते।।13.33।।

yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyate
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate

Word-for-Word Translation

yathā—as; sarva-gatam—all-pervading; saukṣhmyāt—due to subtlety; ākāśham—the space; na—not; upalipyate—is contaminated; sarvatra—everywhere; avasthitaḥ—situated; dehe—the body; tathā—similarly; ātmā—the soul; na—not; upalipyate—is contaminated

Meaning

As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, due to its subtlety, so the Self seated everywhere in the body is not tainted either.

Explanation

Just as space pervades everything yet is never contaminated by what fills it, so the soul, though present throughout the body, is never truly touched by the body's condition. The image of untouched space is a comforting one for anyone anxious about how past mistakes might permanently mark the soul — they do not.

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।
क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत।।13.34।।

yathā prakāśhayaty ekaḥ kṛitsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ
kṣhetraṁ kṣhetrī tathā kṛitsnaṁ prakāśhayati bhārata

Word-for-Word Translation

yathā—as; prakāśhayati—illumines; ekaḥ—one; kṛitsnam—entire; lokam—solar system; imam—this; raviḥ—sun; kṣhetram—the body; kṣhetrī—the soul; tathā—so; kṛitsnam—entire; prakāśhayati—illumine; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat

Meaning

Just as the one sun illuminates the entire world, so too does the Lord of the field (Supreme Self) illuminate the entire field, O Arjuna.

Explanation

As a single sun lights up the whole world, so the knower illumines the entire field of the body through consciousness. This simple, vivid comparison captures why consciousness is called light in the Gita's language — it is what makes any experience of the body and mind possible at all.

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा।
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम्।।13.35।।

kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-chakṣhuṣhā
bhūta-prakṛiti-mokṣhaṁ cha ye vidur yānti te param

Word-for-Word Translation

kṣhetra—the body; kṣhetra-jñayoḥ—of the knower of the body; evam—thus; antaram—the difference; jñāna-chakṣhuṣhā—with the eyes of knowledge; bhūta—the living entity; prakṛiti-mokṣham—release from material nature; cha—and; ye—who; viduḥ—know; yānti—approach; te—they; param—the Supreme

Meaning

They who, by the eye of knowledge, perceive the distinction between the field and its knower, as well as the liberation from the Nature of being, go to the Supreme.

Explanation

Krishna closes the chapter by saying that those who see, with the eye of knowledge, the distinction between the field and its knower, and understand liberation from material nature, attain the Supreme. This verse gathers the chapter's whole argument into one closing promise — that clear vision of self and Krishna together is what finally carries a soul home.