The body is the field; the consciousness within is the knower. Beyond both is the supreme Self, who dwells equally in all beings, undiminished — undying among the dying.
श्रीभगवानुवाच । इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते । एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca | idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetram-ity-abhidhīyate | etad-yo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ ||
The Blessed Lord said: 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.
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम ॥
kṣetra-jñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata | kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor-jñānaṃ yat taj-jñānaṃ mataṃ mama ||
Know me also to be the Knower of the field in all fields, O Bharata. The knowledge of the field and its knower — that I consider to be true knowledge.
तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् । स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु ॥
tat kṣetraṃ yac-ca yādṛk ca yad-vikāri yataś-ca yat | sa ca yo yat-prabhāvaś-ca tat samāsena me śṛṇu ||
What that field is, of what nature, what its modifications, whence it comes, and who he is, and what his powers — hear briefly from me.
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् । ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ॥
ṛṣibhir-bahudhā gītaṃ chandobhir-vividhaiḥ pṛthak | brahma-sūtra-padaiś-caiva hetumadbhir-viniścitaiḥ ||
This has been sung by sages in many ways, in various hymns separately, and in the well-reasoned and decisive aphorisms of the Brahma Sutras.
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥
mahā-bhūtāny-ahaṅkāro buddhir-avyaktam-eva ca | indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriya-gocarāḥ ||
The great elements, ego, intellect, and the unmanifest; the ten senses and the one (mind), and the five objects of the senses—
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः । एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥
icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṅghātaś-cetanā dhṛtiḥ | etat kṣetraṃ samāsena sa-vikāram-udāhṛtam ||
— desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate, consciousness, courage. This in brief is the field with its modifications.
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् । आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥
amānitvam-adambhitvam-ahiṃsā kṣāntir-ārjavam | ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyam-ātma-vinigrahaḥ ||
Humility, freedom from pretence, non-violence, patience, uprightness; service of the teacher, purity, steadiness, self-control—
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च । जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ॥
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam-anahaṅkāra eva ca | janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam ||
— dispassion toward sense-objects, absence of ego; perception of the evils of birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain—
असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु । नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ॥
asaktir-anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu | nityaṃ ca sama-cittatvam-iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu ||
— non-attachment, freedom from clinging to son, wife, home, and the like; constant equanimity in the occurrence of the desired and the undesired—
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥
mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir-avyabhicāriṇī | vivikta-deśa-sevitvam-aratir-jana-saṃsadi ||
— unwavering devotion to me by single-minded yoga; resort to solitary places, aversion to the crowd—
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥
adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṃ tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam | etaj-jñānam-iti proktam-ajñānaṃ yad-ato’nyathā ||
— constant attention to spiritual knowledge, perception of the goal of true knowledge: all this is called knowledge. What is contrary to this is ignorance.
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते । अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥
jñeyaṃ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj-jñātvāmṛtam-aśnute | anādi-mat paraṃ brahma na sat tan-nāsad-ucyate ||
I shall declare what is to be known, by knowing which one attains immortality — the beginningless supreme Brahman, which is said to be neither being nor non-being.
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥
sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṃ tat sarvato’kṣi-śiro-mukham | sarvataḥ śrutimal-loke sarvam-āvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||
With hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads, faces everywhere, ears everywhere — That stands enveloping all in the world.
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् । असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriya-vivarjitam | asaktaṃ sarva-bhṛc-caiva nirguṇaṃ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca ||
Shining through all sense-faculties, yet without senses; unattached, yet sustaining all; without modes, yet experiencing them.
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च । सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥
bahir-antaś-ca bhūtānām-acaraṃ caram-eva ca | sūkṣmatvāt tad-avijñeyaṃ dūra-sthaṃ cāntike ca tat ||
It is outside and inside all beings — unmoving yet moving. Because of its subtlety, it is incomprehensible; it is far away and yet near.
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् । भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ॥
avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam-iva ca sthitam | bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj-jñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||
Undivided yet appearing as if divided among beings; the sustainer, destroyer, and creator of beings — this is what is to be known.
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥
jyotiṣām-api taj-jyotis-tamasaḥ param-ucyate | jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñāna-gamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||
It is the light of lights, said to be beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the object of knowledge, attainable by knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः । मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥
iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ | mad-bhakta etad-vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate ||
Thus the field, knowledge, and the object of knowledge have been briefly described. My devotee, knowing this, becomes fit for my state.
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि । विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhy-anādī ubhāv-api | vikārāṃś-ca guṇāṃś-caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān ||
Know prakriti and purusha both to be without beginning. Know also that all modifications and modes are born of prakriti.
कार्यकरणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥
kārya-karaṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir-ucyate | puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve hetur-ucyate ||
Prakriti is said to be the cause of effect, instrument, and agency. Purusha is said to be the cause of the experiencing of pleasure and pain.
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān-guṇān | kāraṇaṃ guṇa-saṅgo’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ||
Purusha, seated in prakriti, experiences the modes born of prakriti. Attachment to the modes is the cause of his births in good and evil wombs.
उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः । परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥
upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ | paramātmeti cāpy-ukto dehe’smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ ||
The supreme Person in this body is called the witness, the consenter, the supporter, the experiencer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥
ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥ saha | sarvathā vartamāno’pi na sa bhūyo’bhijāyate ||
One who knows purusha and prakriti together with the modes — however he lives — is not born again.
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥
dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid-ātmānam-ātmanā | anye sāṅkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare ||
By meditation some see the Self in the self by the self; others by the yoga of knowledge; others by the yoga of action.
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते । तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ॥
anye tv-evam-ajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate | te’pi cātitaranty-eva mṛtyuṃ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ ||
Others, not knowing thus, worship having heard from others; they too cross beyond death, devoted to what they have heard.
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥
yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvaṃ sthāvara-jaṅgamam | kṣetra-kṣetra-jña-saṃyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣabha ||
Whatever being is born — moving or unmoving — know it to come from the union of field and knower of the field, O bull of the Bharatas.
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् । विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥
samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram | vinaśyatsv-avinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||
One who sees the supreme Lord dwelling equally in all beings — undying among the dying — sees truly.
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् । न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
samaṃ paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam-īśvaram | na hinasty-ātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim ||
Seeing the same Lord equally present everywhere, one does not destroy oneself by oneself — and so reaches the supreme goal.
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः । यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ॥
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ | yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam-akartāraṃ sa paśyati ||
One who sees that actions are performed in every way by prakriti, and that the Self is not the doer — that one truly sees.
यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥
yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam-eka-stham-anupaśyati | tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā ||
When one perceives the diversity of beings as resting in the One, and as expanding from That alone — then one attains Brahman.
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः । शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥
anāditvān-nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam-avyayaḥ | śarīra-stho’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||
Because it is beginningless and devoid of modes, 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 ॥
yathā sarva-gataṃ saukṣmyād-ākāśaṃ nopalipyate | sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||
As space, all-pervading, is not tainted because of its subtlety — so the Self, present everywhere in the body, is not tainted.
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः । क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ॥
yathā prakāśayaty-ekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokam-imaṃ raviḥ | kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata ||
As the one sun illuminates this whole world — so the knower of the field illuminates the entire field, O Bharata.
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥
kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor-evam-antaraṃ jñāna-cakṣuṣā | bhūta-prakṛti-mokṣaṃ ca ye vidur-yānti te param ||
Those who know thus by the eye of knowledge the distinction between field and knower of the field, and the liberation of beings from prakriti — they reach the Supreme.
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । एतद्यो वेत्ति तत्त्वेन स याति परमां गतिम् ॥
kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor-evam-antaraṃ jñāna-cakṣuṣā | etad yo vetti tattvena sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ||
One who truly knows by the eye of knowledge this distinction between field and knower of the field reaches the supreme goal.