Next Shlok Previous Shlok
Bhagwad Gita (English) | Chapter 13 | Verse 2

Chapter 13, Verse 2

Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness

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."

Verse

श्री भगवानुवाचइदं 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

Meaning of each word

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

Interpretation

In this verse, Lord Krishna is explaining to Arjuna (who is his friend and disciple) that the body we live in is like a 'field' where all our actions and experiences take place. Think of it this way: just like a farmer works in a field, we live our lives and act through our bodies. Our body is the place where we grow and learn various experiences, just as a field is where plants grow.

The person who knows or understands this body is referred to as the 'knower of the field.' This means that inside our bodies, there is a part of us that is aware—this is our true self or soul. While our bodies go through changes, such as growing older or falling ill, our true self remains constant. It's similar to how you might wear different clothes throughout your life; no matter what clothes you wear, you stay the same person underneath.

Krishna is making a very important point here: the body is temporary and changes over time, while the true self (the soul) does not change. This understanding is very important because many of our problems come from mistakenly thinking that we are just our bodies. For example, if we feel unhappy about our appearance or age, it’s because we are identifying too strongly with our bodies instead of recognizing that we are the eternal soul inside.

Also, Krishna hints at a deeper truth—that as human beings, we sometimes get stuck in our experiences and desires. We might focus too much on enjoying the pleasures of the body and forget about the real purpose of life, which is to understand our true self and connect with the Supreme (the highest spiritual truth or God).

This verse also sets the stage for what Krishna will teach later. He will explain how the soul becomes caught up in this physical body and the material world and how, through knowledge and devotion, one can achieve freedom from these limitations. This freedom is what many seek, as it leads to true happiness and spiritual liberation.

In summary, by saying that the body is a 'field' and the soul is the 'knower,' Krishna is urging us to see beyond our physical existence. He wants us to realize that while our bodies will eventually change or even pass away, the essence of who we are—the soul—remains eternal. Understanding this distinction is a crucial step toward achieving spiritual growth and liberation.

Other Verses of Chapter 13
Verse 1
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."
Verse 3
O scion of Bharat, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.
Verse 4
Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are, whence it is produced, who that knower of the field of activities is, and what his influences are.
Verse 5
That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings-especially in the Vedanta-sutra-and is presented with all reasoning as to cause and effect.
Verse 6
The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.
Verse 7
Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the body, intelligence, and willpower—these things have been briefly described as aspects of the field of our activities.
Verse 8
Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.
Verse 9
Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.
Verse 10
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.
Verse 11
Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.
Verse 12
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.
Verse 13
I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. This is beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.
Verse 14
Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists.
Verse 15
The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature.
Verse 16
The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and nonmoving. He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.
Verse 17
Although the Supersoul appears to be divided, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.
Verse 18
He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's heart.
Verse 19
Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature.
Verse 20
Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.
Verse 21
Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
Verse 22
The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.
Verse 23
Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.
Verse 24
One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position.
Verse 25
That Supersoul is perceived by some through meditation, by some through the cultivation of knowledge, and by others through working without fruitive desire.
Verse 26
Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.
Verse 27
O chief of the Bharatas, whatever you see in existence, both moving and unmoving, is only the combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.
Verse 28
One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul is ever destroyed, actually sees.
Verse 29
One who sees the Supersoul in every living being and equal everywhere does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination.
Verse 30
One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.
Verse 31
When a sensible man ceases to see different identities, which are due to different material bodies, he attains to the Brahman conception. Thus he sees that beings are expanded everywhere.
Verse 32
Those with the vision of eternity can see that the soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.
Verse 33
The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all-pervading. Similarly, the soul, situated in Brahman vision, does not mix with the body, though situated in that body.
Verse 34
O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.
Verse 35
One who knowingly sees this difference between the body and the owner of the body and can understand the process of liberation from this bondage, also attains to the supreme goal.
Download as Image