Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Verse 3 — Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
Sanskrit
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत | क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम ||१३-३||
Transliteration
kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata . kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama ||13-3||
Hindi Meaning
।।13.3।। हे भारत ! तुम समस्त क्षेत्रों में क्षेत्रज्ञ मुझे ही जानो। क्षेत्र और क्षेत्रज्ञ का जो ज्ञान है, वही (वास्तव में) ज्ञान है , ऐसा मेरा मत है।।
English Meaning
O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.
Commentary
While discussing the subject of the body and the knower of the body, the soul and the Supersoul, we shall find three different topics of study: the Lord, the living entity, and matter. In every field of activities, in every body, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul. Because the Supersoul is the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, “I am also the knower, but I am not the individual knower of the body. I am the superknower. I am present in every body as the Paramātmā, or Supersoul.” One who studies the subject matter of the field of activity and the knower of the field very minutely, in terms of this Bhagavad-gītā , can attain to knowledge. The Lord says, “I am the knower of the field of activities in every individual body.” The individual may be the knower of his own body, but he is not in knowledge of other bodies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present as the Supersoul in all bodies, knows everything about all bodies. He knows all the different bodies of all the various species of life. A citizen may know everything about his patch of land, but the king knows not only his palace but all the properties possessed by the individual citizens. Similarly, one may be the proprietor of the body individually, but the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all bodies. The king is the original proprietor of the kingdom, and the citizen is the secondary proprietor. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the supreme proprietor of all bodies. The body consists of the senses. The Supreme Lord is Hṛṣīkeśa, which means “the controller of the senses.” He is the original controller of the senses, just as the king is the original controller of all the activities of the state; the citizens are secondary controllers. The Lord says, “I am also the knower.” This means that He is the superknower; the individual soul knows only his particular body. In the Vedic literature, it is stated as follows: kṣetrāṇi hi śarīrāṇi bījaṁ cāpi śubhāśubhe tāni vetti sa yogātmā tataḥ kṣetra-jña ucyate This body is called the kṣetra, and within it dwells the owner of the body and the Supreme Lord, who knows both the body and the owner of the body. Therefore He is called the knower of all fields. The distinction between the field of activities, the knower of activities, and the supreme knower of activities is described as follows. Perfect knowledge of the constitution of the body, the constitution of the individual soul, and the constitution of the Supersoul is known in terms of Vedic literature as jñāna. That is the opinion of Kṛṣṇa. To understand both the soul and the Supersoul as one yet distinct is knowledge. One who does not understand the field of activity and the knower of activity is not in perfect knowledge. One has to understand the position of prakṛti (nature), puruṣa (the enjoyer of nature) and īśvara (the knower who dominates or controls nature and the individual soul). One should not confuse the three in their different capacities. One should not confuse the painter, the painting and the easel. This material world, which is the field of activities, is nature, and the enjoyer of nature is the living entity, and above them both is the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Vedic language (in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.12), bhoktā bhogyaṁ preritāraṁ ca matvā/ sarvaṁ proktaṁ tri-vidhaṁ brahmam etat. There are three Brahman conceptions: prakṛti is Brahman as the field of activities, and the jīva (individual soul) is also Brahman and is trying to control material nature, and the controller of both of them is also Brahman, but He is the factual controller. In this chapter it will also be explained that out of the two knowers, one is fallible and the other is infallible. One is superior and the other is subordinate. One who understands the two knowers of the field to be one and the same contradicts the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who states here very clearly, “I am also the knower of the field of activity.” One who misunderstands a rope to be a serpent is not in knowledge. There are different kinds of bodies, and there are different owners of the bodies. Because each individual soul has his individual capacity for lording it over material nature, there are different bodies. But the Supreme also is present in them as the controller. The word ca is significant, for it indicates the total number of bodies. That is the opinion of Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul present in each and every body apart from the individual soul. And Kṛṣṇa explicitly says here that real knowledge is to know that the Supersoul is the controller of both the field of activities and the finite enjoyer.
Hinglish Commentary
Jab hum sharir aur sharir ke gyaan dene wale, yani atma aur paramatma ke baare mein baat karte hain, toh humein teen alag alag vishayon ka samna karna padta hai: Bhagwan, jeevatma, aur prakriti. Har ek vyakti mein do atma hoti hain: ek vyakti ki atma aur dusri paramatma, jo ki Bhagwan Krishna ka vistar hai. Krishna kehte hain, "Main bhi gyaan dene wala hoon, par main sirf vyakti ke sharir ka gyaan dene wala nahi hoon. Main superknower hoon. Main har sharir mein Paramātmā ke roop mein upasthit hoon." Jo vyakti is Bhagavad-gita ke madhyam se gyaan ko gehraai se samjhta hai, woh sachcha gyaan prapt kar sakta hai. Bhagwan kehte hain, "Main har vyakti ke sharir ka gyaan dene wala hoon." Har vyakti apne sharir ka gyaan rakhta hai, par woh doosre shariron ka gyaan nahi rakhta. Lekin jo Supreme Personality of Godhead hai, jo har sharir mein paramatma ke roop mein hai, woh sab kuch jaanta hai. Woh alag-alag praniyon ke shariron ke baare mein sab kuch jaanta hai. Jaise ek nagrik apne zameen ke baare mein sab kuch jaanta hai, waise hi raja apne mahal ke saath saath sab nagrikon ki sampatti ko bhi jaanta hai. Is tarah, ek vyakti apne sharir ka maalik hai, par Supreme Lord sabhi shariron ka maalik hai. Raja apne rajya ka asli maalik hota hai, aur nagrik doosra maalik. Waise hi, Supreme Lord sabhi shariron ka sarvottam maalik hai. Sharir indriyon se bana hota hai. Supreme Lord Hṛṣīkeśa hai, jo indriyon ka niyantrak hai. Jaise raja rajya ki sabhi gatividhiyon ka niyantrak hota hai, waise hi bhagwan sabhi indriyon ka asli niyantrak hai. Bhagwan kehte hain, "Main bhi gyaan dene wala hoon." Iska matlab hai ki woh superknower hain; vyakti ki atma sirf apne sharir ka gyaan rakhti hai. Vedic sahitya mein likha hai: kṣetrāṇi hi śarīrāṇi bījaṁ cāpi śubhāśubhe tāni vetti sa yogātmā tataḥ kṣetra-jña ucyate. Yeh sharir kṣetra kaha jaata hai, aur ismein sharir ka maalik aur Supreme Lord dono rehte hain, jo sharir aur sharir ke maalik dono ko jaante hain. Isliye unhe sabhi kṣetraon ka gyaan dene wala kaha jaata hai. Kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, aur sarvottam kṣetra-jña ka bhed samjhana zaroori hai. Sharir, vyakti ki atma, aur paramatma ka sahi gyaan ko Vedic sahitya mein jñāna kaha jaata hai. Yeh Krishna ka vichar hai. Atma aur paramatma ko ek aur alag samajhna hi gyaan hai. Jo vyakti kṣetra aur kṣetra-jña ko samajhne mein galti karta hai, woh sahi gyaan mein nahi hai. Humein prakṛti (prakriti), puruṣa (prakriti ka bhogta), aur īśvara (prakriti aur vyakti ki atma par niyantran rakhne wala) ki sthal ko samajhna chahiye. In teenon ko unki alag alag kshamataon mein nahi milana chahiye. Jaise ek chitrakar, chitra, aur easel ko nahi milana chahiye. Yeh material duniya, jo gatividhiyon ka kṣetra hai, prakriti hai, aur prakriti ka bhogta jeevatma hai, aur in dono se upar hai supreme controller, yani Bhagwan. Vedic bhasha mein kaha gaya hai (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.12), bhoktā bhogyaṁ preritāraṁ ca matvā/ sarvaṁ proktaṁ tri-vidhaṁ brahmam etat. Teen Brahman ke concepts hain: prakṛti Brahman hai jo gatividhiyon ka kṣetra hai, aur jīva (vyakti ki atma) bhi Brahman hai jo prakriti ko niyantran karne ki koshish kar raha hai, aur dono ka niyantrak bhi Brahman hai, par woh sachcha niyantrak hai. Is adhyay mein yeh bhi samjhaya jaayega ki do gyaan dene walon mein se ek fallible hai aur doosra infallible. Ek superior hai aur doosra subordinate. Jo vyakti in do gyaan dene walon ko ek hi samajhta hai, woh Supreme Personality of Godhead ka virodh karta hai, jo yahan bahut saaf kehte hain, "Main bhi gyaan dene wala hoon." Jo rope ko naag samajhta hai, woh gyaan mein nahi hai. Alag-alag sharir hote hain, aur alag-alag sharir ke maalik hote hain. Kyunki har vyakti ki atma ka prakriti par niyantran karne ka apna apna capacity hota hai, isliye alag-alag sharir hote hain. Par Supreme bhi unmein niyantrak ke roop mein upasthit hai. "Ca" shabd mahatvapurn hai, kyunki yeh sabhi shariron ki sankhya ko darshata hai. Yeh Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa ka vichar hai. Krishna har ek sharir mein paramatma ke roop mein upasthit hain, alag vyakti ki atma se alag. Aur Krishna yahaan spasht roop se kehte hain ki sachcha gyaan yeh hai ki paramatma gatividhiyon ke kṣetra aur simit bhogta dono ka niyantrak hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
पूर्व श्लोक में यह कहा गया है कि जड़ उपाधियाँ क्षेत्र हैं और इनका अधिष्ठान चैतन्य स्वरूप आत्मा क्षेत्रज्ञ है। यहाँ सबको चकित कर देने वाला कथन है कि समस्त क्षेत्रों में क्षेत्रज्ञ मुझे ही जानो। यदि सब क्षेत्रों में ज्ञाता एक ही है तो इसका अर्थ यह हुआ कि बहुलता और विविधता केवल जड़ उपाधियों में ही है और उनमें व्यक्त चैतन्य सर्वत्र एक ही है। इस सर्वश्रेष्ठ सर्वातीत एक सत्य को यहाँ उत्तम पुरुष एक वचन के रूप में निर्देशित किया गया है क्षेत्रज्ञ मैं हूँ क्योंकि सभी साधकों को यह इसी रूप में अनुभव करना है कि वह मैं हूँ सोऽहम् ।हम पहले भी इंगित कर चुके हैं कि भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण गीता का उपदेश योगारूढ़ की स्थिति के विरले क्षणों में कर रहे हैं। वे सर्वव्यापी आत्मस्वरूप से तादात्म्य किये हुये हैं। इस श्लोक का उनका कथन विद्युत् के इस कथन के समान है कि मैं ही विश्वभर के बल्बों में प्रकाशित हो रही ऊर्जा हूँ।इस सम्पूर्ण विविध नामरूपमय सृष्टि के पीछे विद्यमान एकमेव सत्य का निर्देश करने के पश्चात् भगवान् अपना मत बताते हुये कहते हैं कि क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञ का विवेकजनित ज्ञान ही वास्तविक ज्ञान कहलाने योग्य है क्योंकि यही ज्ञान हमें अपने सांसारिक बन्धनों से मुक्त कराने में समर्थ है। इस ज्ञान के अभाव में ही हम जीव भाव के समस्त दुखों को भोग रहे हैं।ज्ञानमार्ग के निष्ठावान् साधकों के लिए यह क्षेत्र और क्षेत्रज्ञ का ज्ञान उपयोगी और आवश्यक होने के कारण उन्हें उसका विस्तृत अध्ययन करना होगा।