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The Field and the Knower of the Field
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोगः · Kṣetra-kṣetrajña-vibhāga-yoga · 35 verses
Krishna gives a simple frame for everything: the body and the world around it are the field, and the one who knows the field is its knower. He lists the qualities of real knowledge, such as humility, non-violence, patience and steady devotion, then describes the Absolute that is known, which has no beginning and shines in the heart of all. Matter and the witnessing Self are distinguished, and whoever sees them apart goes beyond rebirth.
Traditionally not tied to a single planet or house; it works as a companion to any chart reading. A birth chart is a map of the field: the body, the circumstances, the pull of the planets. This chapter reminds you that you are also the one who knows the map. It is read when you feel defined by your chart or your situation, to find the steadier witness underneath. It is a reflective practice, not a prediction.
अर्जुन उवाच
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च ।
एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव ॥
arjuna uvāca
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñameva ca |
etadveditumicchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava ||
Arjuna says: nature and the Person, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and what is to be known: I wish to understand these, Keshava.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते ।
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca
idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate |
etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ ||
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत ।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम ॥
kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata |
kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama ||
तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् ।
स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु ॥
tatkṣetraṃ yacca yādṛkca yadvikāri yataśca yat |
sa ca yo yatprabhāvaśca tatsamāsena me śṛṇu ||
Krishna says: this body, Arjuna, is called the field, and one who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who understand. Know Me also as the knower of the field in all fields; knowledge of the field and its knower is what I consider true knowledge. Hear from Me briefly what that field is, what it is like, how it changes, where it comes from, and who the knower is and what his power is.
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् ।
ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ॥
ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak |
brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniścitaiḥ ||
महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च ।
इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥
mahābhūtānyahaṃkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca |
indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ ||
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं संघातश्चेतना धृतिः ।
एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥
icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṃghātaścetanā dhṛtiḥ |
etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam ||
This has been sung by the sages in many ways, in different hymns and also in the well-reasoned verses of the Brahma Sutra. The field, in brief, is the great elements, the sense of I, intelligence and the unmanifest; the ten senses and the mind, and the five fields of the senses; desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the body as a whole, awareness and steadiness. This is the field, with its changes.
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् ।
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥
amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam |
ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ ||
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च ।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ॥
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṃkāra eva ca |
janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam ||
असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु ।
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ॥
asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu |
nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu ||
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी ।
विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥
mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī |
viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् ।
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥
adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam |
etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadato’nyathā ||
Humility, freedom from pretence, non-violence, patience, honesty, service to the teacher, purity, steadiness and self-control; dispassion toward the objects of the senses, absence of ego, and keeping in view the pain of birth, death, old age and sickness; non-attachment and not clinging to children, spouse and home; constant evenness of mind in what is wanted and what is not; undivided devotion to Me through single-minded yoga; love of quiet places and distaste for crowds; constancy in knowledge of the Self and seeing the aim of true knowledge. All this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ।
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥
jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute |
anādimatparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate ||
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥
sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato’kṣiśiromukham |
sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् ।
असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥
sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam |
asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca ||
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च ।
सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥
bahirantaśca bhūtānāmacaraṃ carameva ca |
sūkṣmatvāttadavijñeyaṃ dūrasthaṃ cāntike ca tat ||
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् ।
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ॥
avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktamiva ca sthitam |
bhūtabhartṛ ca tajjñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते ।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥
jyotiṣāmapi tajjyotistamasaḥ paramucyate |
jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||
I will tell you what is to be known, by knowing which one tastes immortality: the beginningless supreme Brahman, said to be neither being nor non-being. Everywhere it has hands and feet, eyes, heads and faces; everywhere it hears, and it stands enveloping everything in the world. It seems to shine with the qualities of all the senses yet is without any sense; unattached yet supporting all; free of the qualities yet experiencing them. It is within and without all beings, the moving and the still; too subtle to grasp, far away and yet near. Undivided, yet it seems divided among beings; it is to be known as the sustainer of beings, their devourer and their creator. It is the light of lights, said to be beyond darkness; it is knowledge, the knowable and the goal of knowledge, seated in the heart of everyone.
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः ।
मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥
iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ |
madbhakta etadvijñāya madbhāvāyopapadyate ||
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि ।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi |
vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisambhavān ||
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥
kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate |
puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate ||
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān |
kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo’sya sadasadyonijanmasu ||
Thus the field, knowledge and what is to be known have been briefly told. My devotee, understanding this, becomes fit to share My nature. Know that both nature and the Person are without beginning, and that the changes and qualities arise from nature. Nature is said to be the cause of the body and the instruments of action; the Person is said to be the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain. For the Person, seated in nature, experiences the qualities born of nature; attachment to the qualities is the cause of birth in good and bad wombs.
उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः ।
परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ॥
upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ |
paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe’sminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ ||
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 ||
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना ।
अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥
dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā |
anye sāṅkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare ||
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते ।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ॥
anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate |
te’pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ ||
The supreme Person in this body is called the witness, the one who permits, the supporter, the experiencer, the great Lord and the supreme Self. One who knows the Person and nature together with its qualities in this way is not born again, however he may be living now. Some see the Self in themselves by meditation, by the Self; others by the discipline of knowledge, and others by the discipline of action. Others, not knowing this, worship having heard it from others; and they too, devoted to what they have heard, cross beyond death.
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥
yāvatsañjāyate kiñcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam |
kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha ||
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् ।
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥
samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram |
vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् ।
न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram |
na hinastyātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim ||
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः ।
यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ॥
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ |
yaḥ paśyati tathātmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati ||
Whatever being is born, moving or unmoving, know that it comes from the union of the field and its knower. One who sees the supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings, the imperishable within the perishing, truly sees. Seeing the same Lord equally present everywhere, one does not harm oneself by oneself, and so reaches the highest goal. One who sees that all actions are done only by nature, and that the Self is not the doer, truly sees.
यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति ।
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥
yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati |
tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā ||
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः ।
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥
anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ |
śarīrastho’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||
यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते ।
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ॥
yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate |
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः ।
क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ॥
yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ |
kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata ||
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा ।
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥
kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā |
bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param ||
When one sees the many separate kinds of beings as resting in the One, and spreading out from the One, then one reaches Brahman. Because it is without beginning and without qualities, this imperishable supreme Self, though it dwells in the body, neither acts nor is stained. As the all-pervading space is not stained, being so subtle, so the Self, present everywhere in the body, is not stained. As the one sun lights this whole world, so the owner of the field lights the whole field. Those who, with the eye of knowledge, see this difference between the field and its knower, and the release of beings from nature, go to the Supreme.
The verses are the traditional Sanskrit text. The explanations are original summaries, not a particular translator's words. The astrology guide is a devotional, reflective practice, not a prediction and not a substitute for professional advice.