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अर्जुन उवाच प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च। एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव।।13.1।।

arjuna uvācha prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva kṣhetraṁ kṣhetra-jñam eva cha etad veditum ichchhāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ cha keśhava

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 13, Verse 1
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
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."

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: Krishna says this body is called the field, and one who knows it is called the knower of the field, by those who understand this, immediately establishing the chapter's core distinction in the plainest possible terms.

In life: giving a clear, simple name to two things you'd previously experienced as one undifferentiated blur, your circumstances and your awareness of them, makes it much easier to actually work with the distinction.

Teaching: try naming, in your own words, the difference between what's currently happening to you and the part of you that's aware it's happening, that simple naming is itself the first useful step this chapter is offering.

arjunaḥ uvāchaArjun said
prakṛitimmaterial nature
puruṣhamthe enjoyer
chaand
evaindeed
kṣhetramthe field of activities
kṣhetra-jñamthe knower of the field
evaeven
chaalso
etatthis
veditumto know
ichchhāmiI wish
jñānamknowledge
jñeyamthe goal of knowledge
chaand
keśhavaKrishna, the killer of the demon named Keshi

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
13.1 प्रकृतिम् the Prakriti (matter)? पुरुषम् the Purusha (Spirit or Soul)? च and? एव even? क्षेत्रम् the field? क्षेत्रज्ञम् the knower of the field? एव even? च and? एतत् this? वेदितुम् to know? इच्छामि (I) wish? ज्ञानम् knowledge? ज्ञेयम् what ought to be known? च and? केशव O Kesava.Commentary In some of the books you will not find this verse. If you include this verse also? the number of verses of the Bhagavad Gita will come to 701. Some commentators look upon this verse as an interpolation.We have come to the beginning of the third section of the Gita. Essentially the same knowledge is taught in this section but there are more details.This discourse on Kshetra (matter) is commenced with a view to determine the essential nature of the possessor of the two Prakritis (Natures)? the lower and the higher? described in chapter VII? verses 4 and 5.In the previous discourse a description of the devotee who is dear to the Lord is given from verse 13 to the end. Now the estion arises What sort of knowledge of Truth should he possess The answer is given in this discourse.Nature is composed of the three alities. It transforms itself into the body? senses and the sensual objects to serve the two purposes of the individual soul? viz.? Bhoga (enjoyment) and Apavarga (liberation).The Gita is divided into three sections illustrative of the three words of the Mahavakya or Great Sentence of the Sama Veda -- TatTvamAsi (That thou art). In accordance with this view the first six chapters deal with the path of action or Karma Yoga and the nature of the thou (TvamPada). The next six chapters explain the path of devotion or Bhakti Yoga and the nature of That (TatPada). The last six chapters treat of the path of knowledge or Jnana Yoga and the nature of the middle term art (AsiPada) which establishes the identity of the individual and the Supreme Soul (Jiva Brahma Aikyam).Arjuna now wishes to know in detail the difference between Prakriti and Purusha (Matter and Spirit). He desires to have a discriminative knowledge of the difference between them.