Chapter 13: Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness
Krishna distinguishes the field — the body, senses, mind and the whole of nature — from the knower of the field, the consciousness that observes it. He lists the qualities that constitute real knowledge: humility, non-violence, patience, uprightness, service, purity, steadiness, and freedom from clinging. Understanding that prakriti acts while purusha witnesses is presented as the insight that ends bondage, because one stops mistaking what changes for what one is.
All 35 verses of Chapter 13
Verse 13.1
अर्जुन उवाच । प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च । एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव ॥
arjuna uvāca prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava
Arjuna said: O Keshava, I wish to understand nature and the enjoyer of nature, the field and the knower of the field, as well as knowledge and what is to be known.
Life lesson: Give yourself permission today to genuinely wonder who you are beneath your roles and circumstances — that question is worth asking.
Read verse 13.1 in full →Verse 13.2
श्रीभगवानुवाच । इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते । एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ
The Blessed Lord said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who understand this truth.
Life lesson: Today, remember you are the one aware of your experiences, not just the experiences themselves — that shift in perspective brings clarity.
Read verse 13.2 in full →Verse 13.3
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम ॥
kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama
O Bharata, know Me also as the knower of the field in all fields. The knowledge of the field and its knower — this I consider to be true knowledge.
Life lesson: Today, try noticing the difference between what's happening around you and the quiet awareness that's simply watching it happen.
Read verse 13.3 in full →Verse 13.4
तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् । स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु ॥
tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca yad-vikāri yataś ca yat sa ca yo yat-prabhāvaś ca tat samāsena me śṛṇu
Hear from Me briefly what that field is, what its nature is, what its modifications are, from where it arises, who that knower is, and what his powers are.
Life lesson: If something feels overwhelming to understand today, break it into smaller pieces and take them one at a time.
Read verse 13.4 in full →Verse 13.5
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् । ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ॥
ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ
This has been sung by sages in many ways, in various distinct Vedic hymns, and also in the reasoned and conclusive verses of the Brahma Sutra.
Life lesson: When you find the same wisdom echoed by many different teachers or traditions, let that be a quiet reason to trust it.
Read verse 13.5 in full →Verse 13.6
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥
mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro buddhir avyaktam eva ca indriyāṇi daśaikaṁ ca pañca cendriya-gocarāḥ
The five great elements, ego, intellect, the unmanifest, the ten senses and the mind, and the five objects of the senses—
Life lesson: It's fine to study yourself piece by piece today — understanding your own makeup is simply useful, not vain.
Read verse 13.6 in full →Verse 13.7
इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः । एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥
icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ saṅghātaś cetanā dhṛtiḥ etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam
Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate of the body, consciousness, and steadiness — this, in brief, is the field along with its modifications.
Life lesson: When strong emotions rise today, remember they're part of the changing field, not the unchanging you observing them.
Read verse 13.7 in full →Verse 13.8
अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् । आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥
amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ
Humility, freedom from hypocrisy, non-violence, forgiveness, simplicity, service to a genuine teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control —
Life lesson: Practice one quiet virtue today — humility, honesty, or gentleness — as the real foundation of any wisdom you seek.
Read verse 13.8 in full →Verse 13.9
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च । जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ॥
indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam anahaṅkāra eva ca janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam
Dispassion toward sense objects, absence of egoism, and a clear-eyed insight into the suffering inherent in birth, death, old age, and disease—
Life lesson: Let an honest look at life's difficulties soften your grip on something you've been holding too tightly.
Read verse 13.9 in full →Verse 13.10
असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु । नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ॥
asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu
Non-attachment, absence of clinging toward children, spouse, home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness in the face of desirable and undesirable events—
Life lesson: Love the people close to you fully today, while holding your grip on them just a little more loosely.
Read verse 13.10 in full →Verse 13.11
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ॥
mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi
Unwavering devotion to Me through undivided yoga, a preference for solitary places, and disinterest in the crowd's company—
Life lesson: If you need quiet time away from the crowd today, take it without guilt — that stillness has its own value.
Read verse 13.11 in full →Verse 13.12
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् । एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ॥
adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yad ato 'nyathā
Constancy in spiritual knowledge and insight into the goal of true wisdom—this is declared to be knowledge; whatever is contrary to it is ignorance.
Life lesson: Let today's small efforts at self-growth add up toward one steady, ongoing understanding rather than scattered bursts.
Read verse 13.12 in full →Verse 13.13
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते । अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥
jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvāmṛtam aśnute anādi mat-paraṁ brahma na sat tan nāsad ucyate
I shall now explain that which is to be known, by knowing which one attains immortality — the beginningless Supreme Brahman, said to be neither existent nor non-existent.
Life lesson: If something today doesn't fit into a neat category, let it be — not everything true needs a simple label.
Read verse 13.13 in full →Verse 13.14
सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥
sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato 'kṣi-śiro-mukham sarvataḥ śrutimal loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati
Everywhere are His hands and feet, everywhere His eyes, heads, and faces; everywhere He hears, pervading and enveloping everything in this world.
Life lesson: Wherever you go today, remember there's no place truly outside the reach of the sacred — it surrounds you completely.
Read verse 13.14 in full →Verse 13.15
सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् । असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ॥
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
That reality reflects the functions of all the senses, yet is without senses; it is unattached, yet sustains everything; free from the modes of nature, yet the enjoyer of the modes.
Life lesson: Some questions don't need to be fully solved today — it's okay to simply sit with the mystery a while longer.
Read verse 13.15 in full →Verse 13.16
बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च । सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ॥
bahir antaś ca bhūtānām acaraṁ caram eva ca sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūra-sthaṁ cāntike ca tat
It is outside and inside all beings, moving and unmoving alike; being subtle, it is unknowable — far away, yet also very near.
Life lesson: If the divine feels distant today, remember it may be nearer than you assume — sometimes right where you're already standing.
Read verse 13.16 in full →Verse 13.17
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् । भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ॥
avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca
Undivided, yet appearing as if divided among beings, that is to be known as the Sustainer, Devourer, and Creator of all beings.
Life lesson: When someone feels very different from you today, remember there's an undivided reality quietly connecting you both underneath.
Read verse 13.17 in full →Verse 13.18
ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥
jyotiṣām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam
It is the light of all lights, said to be beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the knowable, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
Life lesson: Instead of searching outward today, pause and notice the light that's already quietly present within your own heart.
Read verse 13.18 in full →Verse 13.19
इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः । मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥
iti kṣetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ coktaṁ samāsataḥ mad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate
Thus the field, knowledge, and the knowable have been briefly described. My devotee, understanding this, attains My nature.
Life lesson: Let whatever you learn today settle not just in your head but in your heart, through quiet devotion.
Read verse 13.19 in full →Verse 13.20
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि । विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān
Know that both material nature and the soul are beginningless. Know also that all modifications and the modes of nature arise from material nature.
Life lesson: The next time a mood or circumstance shifts today, remember it's weather passing through — not the core of who you are.
Read verse 13.20 in full →Verse 13.21
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
Material nature is said to be the cause in the production of effects and causes; the soul is said to be the cause in the experience of pleasure and pain.
Life lesson: You can't control every circumstance today, but how you experience it still belongs to you.
Read verse 13.21 in full →Verse 13.22
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
The soul, seated in nature, experiences the qualities born of nature; attachment to these qualities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.
Life lesson: Experience today's ups and downs fully, but watch for where you start clinging — that clinging is what actually weighs you down.
Read verse 13.22 in full →Verse 13.23
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 also called the witness, the permitter, the supporter, the enjoyer, the great Lord, and the Supreme Self.
Life lesson: When things feel hard today, remember there's a quiet witness within you that simply observes without judgment — you're not carrying it entirely alone.
Read verse 13.23 in full →Verse 13.24
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥
ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha sarvathā vartamāno 'pi na sa bhūyo 'bhijāyate
One who thus understands the soul and material nature together with its modes, however they may be situated, is not born again.
Life lesson: Don't just hold today's insight as an idea — let it actually change how you show up in one small moment.
Read verse 13.24 in full →Verse 13.25
ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥
dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid ātmānam ātmanā anye sāṅkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare
Some perceive the Self within themselves through meditation, others through the yoga of knowledge, and others still through the yoga of action.
Life lesson: Don't force yourself into a spiritual practice that doesn't suit you — try the door that actually feels natural today.
Read verse 13.25 in full →Verse 13.26
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते । तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ॥
anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate te 'pi cātitaranti eva mṛtyuṁ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ
Others, not knowing this themselves, worship having heard it from others; they too cross beyond death, devoted to what they have heard.
Life lesson: It's okay to grow spiritually today just by trusting good guidance, even before you fully understand it yourself.
Read verse 13.26 in full →Verse 13.27
यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ॥
yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvaṁ sthāvara-jaṅgamam kṣetra-kṣetrajña-saṁyogāt tad viddhi bharatarṣabha
Whatever being comes into existence, moving or unmoving, O best of the Bharatas, know it to arise from the union of the field and the knower of the field.
Life lesson: Look at any living thing today — a plant, an animal, a person — and remember it shares the same quiet origin as you.
Read verse 13.27 in full →Verse 13.28
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् । विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥
samaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṁ parameśvaram vinaśyatsv avinaśyantaṁ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati
One who sees the Supreme Lord equally present in all beings, imperishable within the perishable, truly sees.
Life lesson: Try seeing the same quiet, eternal presence in everyone you meet today, however different they may seem.
Read verse 13.28 in full →Verse 13.29
समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् । न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
samaṁ paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśvaram na hinasty ātmanātmānaṁ tato yāti parāṁ gatim
Seeing the Lord equally present everywhere, one does not degrade the self by the self, and thus attains the highest goal.
Life lesson: Treat yourself today with the same reverence you'd offer something sacred — you deserve that same gentle care.
Read verse 13.29 in full →Verse 13.30
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः । यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ॥
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśyati
One who sees that all actions are performed entirely by material nature, and that the self is not the doer, truly sees.
Life lesson: Today, act fully but remember you're not the sole force behind every outcome — that's real relief, not an excuse.
Read verse 13.30 in full →Verse 13.31
यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति । तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ॥
yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśyati tata eva ca vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā
When one perceives the diverse existence of beings as rooted in the One, and their expansion from That alone, one attains Brahman.
Life lesson: When differences with someone feel sharp today, remember you both grow from the same root — let that soften the edges.
Read verse 13.31 in full →Verse 13.32
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः । शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ॥
anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ śarīra-stho 'pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyate
Being without beginning and without qualities, this imperishable Supreme Self, though situated in the body, O Kaunteya, neither acts nor is tainted.
Life lesson: Whatever mistake or hardship you're facing today, remember your deepest self remains untouched and whole underneath it.
Read verse 13.32 in full →Verse 13.33
यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते । सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ॥
yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣmyād ākāśaṁ nopalipyate sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate
As the all-pervading ether, being subtle, is not tainted, so the Self, though present everywhere in the body, is not tainted.
Life lesson: Let today's difficult feelings pass through you like clouds through the sky, without believing they permanently stain who you are.
Read verse 13.33 in full →Verse 13.34
यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः । क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ॥
yathā prakāśayaty ekaḥ kṛtsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ kṣetraṁ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṁ prakāśayati bhārata
As the one sun illuminates this whole world, O Bharata, so does the knower of the field illuminate the entire field.
Life lesson: Don't underestimate how much a single moment of real awareness today can illuminate your whole day.
Read verse 13.34 in full →Verse 13.35
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा । भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-cakṣuṣā bhūta-prakṛti-mokṣaṁ ca ye vidur yānti te param
Those who perceive with the eye of knowledge the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, and the liberation of beings from material nature, attain the Supreme.
Life lesson: Today, try to see the difference between what's happening to you and who you truly are — that clarity can be quietly freeing.
Read verse 13.35 in full →