This is one of the most famous & brilliant chapters of the Geeta which gives the student a very direct explanation for, & almost a personal experience of the Self in him, free from his material equipment & their misinterpretations, the world-of-objects. An exhaustive exposition on how to meditate directly upon the Imperishable Formless Spirit is given here. Spirit functioning through matter-envelopments is the living organism. To undress to get rid off matter, we must have a precise knowledge of all that constitutes matter in us. This discrimination between the inert matter-equipment & the vibrant spark-of-Life, the Spirit, is presented in this chapter.

1. THE HOLY GEETA
COMMENTARY by
swami Chinmayananda
T K G NAMBOODHIRI
THIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA
Presentation adapted from
THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013
Mumbai

2. THE Holy GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CHAPTER 13
KSHETRA KSHETRAJNA VIBHAGA YOGA
THE FIELD AND IT’S KNOWER

3. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 13- Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
This is one of the most famous chapters in the Geeta which gives a very direct
explanation of the SELF, separate from the material equipment & other worldly
materials. Here we have an exhaustive exposition of how to meditate directly upon the
Imperishable Formless Spirit. This chapter is an elaboration of the things discussed in
chapters 7 & 8, ‘Knowledge & Experience’ & ‘ Imperishable Brahman’. The last 6
chapters starting with this form the third of the three groups which explain the Vedantic
Mahavakya “THAT THOU ART”, & deals with the inter relationships between That &
Thou.
Spirit functioning through matter-envelopments is the living organism. ‘That’ dressed up
in matter is ‘Thou’. This distinction between the inert matter- equipment & the vibrant
spark-of-life, the Spirit, is presented to us in this chapter, named The Field & It’s Knower.

4. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ARJUNA’S QUESTION
13.1 Arjuna said:
Prakriti (matter) & Purusha (Spirit), also the Kshetra (the Field) & Kshetrajna (the
Knower-of-the-Field), Knowledge & that which ought to be known—these I wish to
learn, O Keshava.
In several manuscripts, this verse is omitted. Here, Arjuna wishes to know the meanings of several terms
used in the scriptures:
“Prakriti & Purusha”: In Sankhya Philosophy, these terms indicate the inert-equipment (Prakriti) & the
vital sentient-Truth (Purusha) that sets the matter in action. Prakriti is matter & Purusha is the Spirit. The
Spirit plays through matter & experiences the world.
“The Field & the Knower-of-the-Field”: The Knower-of-the –Field is the status of the Knowing-Principle
when It functions in the Field-of-the known. Without matter, It becomes Pure Knowledge.
“The mechanism & the objects of Knowledge”: Knowledge-of-things are the constant experiences of all
living creatures. Hence, the ‘mechanism of knowing’ & its manipulations & the ‘true object to be known’
are helpful to all seekers.

5. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KSHETRA & KSHETRAJNA
The Blessed Lord said:
13.2 This body, O Kaunteya is called Kshetra (the Field) & he who knows it is called
Kshetrajna (the Knower-of-the-Field) by those who know them. (by the Sages).
In this chapter we find a beautiful philosophical dissection of the subjective structure of man, exposing the matter envelopments
that condition the Spirit. Philosophically viewed, there are two aspects in a living man: the inert & insentient matter layers, & the
sentient & vital Consciousness. They are defined here.
“This body is called the Field”: A ‘Field’ is necessary for energy to play in & manifest as work done. Electricity cannot give us breeze
unless it passes through a fan. Similarly, the assembly of matter layers through which life passes when an individuality is expressed,
is defined here by Krishna as the ‘Field’.
“He who knows it is called the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’”: This field is lifeless matter, yet as long as it lives & functions, it Knows. This
‘Principle-of-knowing’, functioning in the ‘field’ is the ‘enjoyer-of-the-field’; the ‘knower’, the EGO. The urge to know, expressed
through the equipment, is what we recognise as its life. The capacity of an organism to receive stimuli & send forth responses is the
transaction of life, & when this ‘knower’ departs from the equipment, we consider it as dead. This is the ‘Knower-of-the-Field”.
“By those who know them”: Lord Krishna assures us that the definitions given here are not arbitrary or hypothetical suppositions,
but are given out by the great Masters of yore, who actually experienced them. The entire world-of-objects constitutes the kingdom
of matter; and the vital knower of the world-of-matter, constituted of the equipment & their array of perceptions, feelings &
thoughts, is the Spirit.

6. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KNOWER OF THE FIELD
13.3 Know Me as the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ in all ‘Fields’, O Bharata; Knowledge of the
‘Field’ as also of the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ is considered by Me to be My Knowledge.
Here is a staggering announcement, “I am the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ in all ‘Fields’: If in all Fields
the Knower is One, then the plurality is only in the matter envelopment, & the Life that presides
over them is one everywhere. This Universal One, the Transcendental Truth is indicated here by
‘I AM’, because every seeker has to discover in himself, “That I am”. Krishna is identifying
Himself with the Self that is everywhere.
In the second line, Krishna declares that, according to Him, a correct knowledge of what
constitutes in each one of us the perishable, changeable, finite, inert matter, & of the Infinite,
Imperishable & sentient Spirit, is the Supreme Knowledge. To distinguish the world-of-the-
objects from the world-of-subject is True Knowledge which can redeem us from the confusions
& sorrows of this world.

7. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
DETAILS ABOUT THE FIELD & THE KNOWER
13.4 What that Field is; of what nature it is; what are its modifications; whence it is; &
also who He is; & what His powers are—these hear from Me in brief.
“Of What Nature”: Not only we are going to discuss as to what constitute the ‘Field’ (the
Kshetra), but also of what it is in itself. What are its properties? What effects arise from
what causes? what is its origin? Who is He, the Knowing Principle in the field? What are
His powers of perception, feeling & thought? All these ‘hear briefly from Me’.
To know the nature of all matter envelopments-their play & how they behave under
given sets of different circumstances- is to know the ‘Field’. Physiology, Biology,
Psychology & all the natural sciences are involved in this understanding. The spiritual
path, especially the path-of-Knowledge, is the culmination of the fulfilment of the
secular sciences. Lord Krishna emphasises here the importance of a close study of the
‘Field’.

8. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RISHIS HAVE SUNG ABOUT THE FIELD &THE KNOWER
13.5 Rishis have sung (about) the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ in many
ways, in various distinctive chants & also in the suggestive words indicative of
Brahman, full of reason & decision.
Krishna assures us here again that what He explains is only a restatement of
what “has been sung by the Rishis in many ways, in different Hymns,
severally”. The subject matter dealt with here is the very theme which the
Upanishads have indicated in their secret verses, especially those about
Brahman. Why should we believe them? Krishna says: our Upanishad
declarations are “Full of reasoning & so convincing”. When a Truth is declared,
along with logical reasoning, the conclusions arrived at are acceptable to any
intelligent seeker.

9. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIELD-24 TATWAS
13.6 The great elements, egoism, intellect, & also the unmanifested (moola-Prakriti), the
ten senses & the one (the mind) & the five objects-of-the-senses..
Here, Lord Krishna gives an exhaustive description of the ‘Field’ (two verses).
“The Great Elements”: The five Pancha-Bhutas, space, air, fire, water & earth are the rudimentary elements (Tanmatras) out of the
combinations of which the grosser elements, the perceptible Great Elements, are formed.
“The Egoism”: The sense of ‘I’ness & ‘My’ ness that arises in our identification with the world-of-objects. It is the ‘perceiver’ & ‘enjoyer’ of
the world, & it enjoys the joys & sorrows of its own world of likes & dislikes. Our individuality is this Ego.
“Intellect”: The determining-faculty which rationally thinks & comes to its own conclusions & judges good & bad in every experience.
“Unmanifested”: Impressions, left over in the mental equipment as a result of our conscious enjoyment of the world outside, called the
Vasanas. They determine the direction & pattern of our perceptions & feelings. In its macrocosmic aspect, the total universe of men & things,
& their behaviours, must spring from the total-Vasanas, called the Moola-Prakriti, by the Sankhyans, or as Maya, by the Vedantins.
“The ten senses”: The five sense organs of perception & the five sense-organs of action are the vehicles by which an individual perceives the
stimuli & responds to them.
“The One”: The mind which receives the stimuli from all the five sense organs. It also executes the judgement of the intellect & sends forth
responses to the outer world.
“The five objects of the senses”: Each sense organ perceives only one field of sense-objects, e.g. The eyes see forms & colours, the ears,
sound etc. Thus there are five distinct types of sense objects.
The twenty four factors enumerated here are the famous 24 Principles (tatwas) of the Sankhyan philosophy.

10. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE FIELD-MODIFICATIONS
13.7 Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, aggregate (body), intelligence, fortitude-this Kshetra
has been thus briefly described with its modifications.
Lord Krishna in describing the ‘Field’ does not stop with these gross ‘equipment-of-matter’, but
He includes even their modifications such as desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the assemblage of
the body, intelligence, steadfastness, etc. Not only do the gross body, mind & intellect constitute
the entire world-of-objects, but even the perceptions experienced through them, the emotions
& thoughts are also included in the ‘Field’.
Anything other than the Subject belongs to the world-of-objects, & can be perceived as an
object. Mental, emotional, & intellectual ideas are also the objects of our knowledge. The entire
world of ‘knowable’ together in a bunch can be labelled as the Field, & the Knowing-Principle,
seemingly functioning as the ‘Knower’ is the Subject. An exhaustive understanding of what
constitute the ‘object’ is necessary to distinguish it from the ‘Subject’. The entire world-of-
matter in the cosmos has been directly, as well as by implication, embraced in these two verses.

11. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
MENTAL & EMOTIONAL ATTRIBUTES FOR THE KNOWER
13.8 Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the
teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control….
In the next five consecutive verses Lord Krishna lists twenty qualities, which in their totality indicate the
‘Knower’ (Kshetrajna). This description of the elements of ‘Knowledge’ includes moral qualities & ascetic
practices conducive to spiritual awakening.
“Humility”: Absence of self-pride; “Modesty”: non-proclamation of one’s own greatness; “Non-Injury”: to
any living being by our own vicious intentions & feelings: “Forgiveness (Patience)”: capacity to suffer long
without being upset; “Uprightness”: comes to him who harmonises thoughts, words & deeds, & who
intents on right conduct; “Service to the Teacher”: Physical service plus efforts to identify with the mental
& intellectual qualities of the Teacher; “Purity”: Cleanliness of the body , dresses, surrounding
environments, & mental purity of thoughts & emotions; “Steadfastness”: consistency of purpose &
concentration of all efforts towards achieving the cultural & spiritual goal striven for; “Self-control”: self-
restraint practised at all the personality-layers, both in their collective & several contacts with the world
outside. (to be continued).

12. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
FEELINGS & PERCEPTIONS
13.9 Indifference to the objects of the senses, & also the absence of egoism, perception
of (or reflection upon) evils in birth, death, old age, sickness & pain..
The Lord continues with the qualities of the “Knower”. “Absence of attachment for objects”: Living in the midst of the
objects of the world, ability to switch off our mental preoccupations with them; being detached to them & remaining
unshackled by them-Vairagya.
“Abandonment of the thought of ‘I’ “: To reduce the misconception of ourselves as the material equipment & their
perceptions, is essential prerequisite for asserting & living our own real divine nature.
“Perception of the evil of pain”: Discontentment with the status-quo alone can goad us to discover a new state of
existence. So we should be aware of the despicable & tragic conditions of our existence in the world. This awareness
prompts us to seek fresh fields of greater joy. A seeker must be constantly conscious of the evil of the pain in his
present life, to gather spiritual urge, emotional enthusiasm & physical courage to seek the Divine Fields of Perfection.
“In birth, death, old age, & sickness”: Our physical body goes through these modifications & each one of them is a
source of fresh sorrow. In all these stages of our metamorphosis, to constantly recognise pain is to be impatient with
it. This sense of revolt against pain is the fuel that drives the seekers faster to peaks of Perfection.

13. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
NON-ATTACHMENT, NON-IDENTIFICATION & EVEN-MINDEDNESS
13.10 Non-attachment; non-identification of Self with son, wife, home & the rest; &
constant even-mindedness on the attainment of the desirable & the undesirable.
“Non-attachment”: Our extreme liking for various objects of the world is
attachment. It is the mental contacts with the world outside that brings agitations to
the mind. A seeker should be non-attached to understand the “Knower”.
“Absence of excessive love for child, wife, home etc.”: Excessive love, or affection, is
an intense form of attachment to another. It consists of our total identification with
the object of our affection. A seeker should discriminate & keep such attachments to
non-Self away to attain the equipoise, without which spiritual progress is difficult.
“Evenness of Mind in desirable & undesirable”: With practice, this evenness of mind
can be maintained unbroken in all situations of life, whether they are of desirable or
undesirable nature.

14. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
UNSWERVING DEVOTION TO ME & DISTASTE FOR SOCIETY
13.11 Unswerving devotion unto Me by the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary
places, distaste for the society of men…
A seeker developing in himself the virtues described in the previous 3 verses, will thereby conserve in himself a lot of
energy. Krishna gives here the right application of this conserved energy.
“Unflinching devotion to Me”: Focussing of the mind upon a particular point to the exclusion of all mental
excitements & agitations is concentration. This may be destroyed by causes arising in the mind or in the point of
concentration. So both must be steady. So the Lord advises unflinching devotion towards Him, the Self, only as one of
the conditions for deep concentration.
“By the Yoga of Non-Separation”: Undivided attention & enthusiasm of the devotee is the other condition. Wild
imaginations & futile daydreaming must be avoided. Krishna says that the mind should be ‘unprostituting’ with its
point of contemplation. This strong word indicates that the point-of-concentration should not be a crowd of deities,
but must faithfully serve some chosen single ideal. Another set of strong words used here is “Ananya-yoga”, Yoga of
non-otherness. Such steady contemplation requires a suitable environment, which is indicated by 1) resort to solitary
places & 2) distaste for a crowded social life. It is a fact that whenever our mind is fascinated by any ideal or task, we
lose all our contacts with other tasks or people, & concentrate on our fascination. So an integrated devotee walks
alone in the world, & he hates other thoughts entering his mind.

15. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
COMPLETING THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE
13.12 Constancy in Self-knowledge, perception of the end of true knowledge-this is
declared to be ‘knowledge’, & what is opposed to it is ‘ignorance’.
Lord Krishna concludes His long list of 20 qualities which are identified as ‘Knowledge’, with this verse.
“Constancy in Self-Knowledge”: The Knowledge of the Self is to be lived & not to be merely learnt. If the
Self is one everywhere & the Self alone is real, the seeker should try to live as the Self at all levels of his
personality. The constancy of such living is an essential practice a seeker should adopt.
“Understanding the end of True Knowledge”: To constantly remember one’s goal adds enthusiasm to his
efforts. Sincerity of purpose in, & undying devotion to, any endeavour can be had only if the seeker is
thrilled by the vision of the goal that he has to reach. Liberation from all our imperfections & limitations is
the ‘end’ striven for by all spiritual seekers.
“This is declared to be ‘Knowledge’ ”: These twenty attributes are declared to be ‘Knowledge’ because
they are conducive to the final Realisation of the Self. The very qualities are called the ‘Knowledge’
because, once these qualities have been fully developed, the mind becomes ready to move ahead &
reach the Pure Knowledge of the Self.

16. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THAT WHICH HAS TO BE KNOWN
13.13 I will declare that which has to be ‘known’ knowing which one attains to Immortality—the
beginningless Supreme Brahman, called neither ‘being’ nor ‘non-being’.
Now the Lord promises to declare ‘What is to be known’. He does not do so directly, but gives an elaborate
description of what is the Result of gaining such a ‘Knowledge’.
“Knowing which one attains the Immortal”: Identifying with the finite, the Immortal Spirit Itself is conditioned by
matter & suffers the delusory sense of finitude & mortality. To rediscover the Spiritual Nature in itself & to live that
glory is to end the experience of death. This is the goal of all seekers.
“Without beginning, the Highest Brahman”: The Supreme is always considered as ‘beginningless’, since Time itself is
born from It.
“The Supreme Consciousness”: Brahman is the ‘illuminator of all experiences & which exists, transcending all realms
of experiences. It, being the very Perceiving-Principle, is beyond our sense-perceptions. Hence It is not said to be
Existent (Sat). Nor can Truth be defined as non-Existent (Asat), for It manifests as the world. Therefore, Truth can be
defined only as ‘neither Sat or Asat’.
These concepts of ‘Sat’ & ‘Asat’ are judgements of the human mind & intellect. The Consciousness that illumines
these judgements is the Brahman, which is the one ‘Subject’ for which all else are ‘Objects’. The illuminator & the
illumined cannot be one & the same. Hence, all that our Scriptures can declare is that the Brahman is “Neither Being
nor Non-Being”.

17. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE ALL-PERVADING BRAHMAN
13.14 With hands & feet everywhere, with eyes, heads & mouths everywhere,
with ears everywhere, He exists in the world, enveloping all.
Lord Krishna now describes the Supreme Brahman, in this & the next 4 verses.
“With hands & feet everywhere”: The Unknown Unmanifest Brahman is here defined in terms
of the known. Hands & feet are familiar to us. Though the Brahman is formless, it is alluded here
that He activates the inert hands & feet of all creatures everywhere.
“Everywhere possessing eyes, ears & mouths”: Every eye, head & mouth functions in the world
because of the Life that pulsates through them. As Life is one everywhere, all activities of
perception, feeling & thinking are attributed to It.
“That exists pervading all”: To remove any doubts in the minds of listeners regarding the
functioning of the Brahman, only through known physical equipment, Lord Krishna states here
that the Brahman “Exists pervading all”- the stars, galaxies & everything else in this universe.
Rig Veda describes Him as the Cosmic Man through the famous hymn “Purusha Sooktam”.

18. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ENJOYING SENSES, BUT WITHOUT SENSES
13.15 Shining by the functions of all senses, yet without the senses, unattached, yet
supporting all; devoid of qualities, yet their experiencer…
The indefinable Supreme is defined here in a language of contradictions, facilitating the realisation of the Eternal.
“Seeming to possess the functions of all senses yet devoid of all senses”: The Self in us, functions through the
equipment, looks as though It has all the senses. But the sense organs are inert materials, liable to perish with time, &
cannot be part of the Eternal, Imperishable Self. It looks as though the Self possesses them.
“Detached, yet upholding all”: Cotton is in all cotton clothes; but these clothes are not cotton, yet it is the cotton that
supports the clothes. Similarly, the world of plurality is not Consciousness, yet Consciousness supports it. Only the
waking mind supports the ‘dreams’.
“Without Gunas, yet enjoying all Gunas”: Gunas are influences that govern the mind & yet they are the objects of
perception for the Conscious Self. A live mind alone can experience these influences. Consciousness conditioned by
the mind is the Ego, which is the experiencer of the Gunas.
Thus here we see that the Self, as the Absolute, is beyond senses, mind & intellect & detached from everything &
without any Gunas. But the same Self, conditioned by the material equipment, looks As Though possessing them,
sustaining them & experiencing all the Gunas.

19. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
WITHOUT & WITHIN, UNMOVING & MOVING
13.16 Without & within (all) beings, the ‘unmoving’ & also the ‘moving’; because of Its subtlety
unknowable; & near & far away-is That.
Lord Krishna continues with the contradictory nature of the Self.
“Without & within all things”: The Conscious Principle active through the various individual equipment is all-pervading, & is
therefore, Unmanifest. Though we can hear a radio programme only through a radio receiver, the radio waves fill all the
atmosphere. Similarly, the Self pervades all space, irrespective of the presence of a body. Hence the Consciousness is present
‘without the beings & yet within them also’.
“Moving & unmoving”: All that moves of its own volition is ‘alive’ & that which has no motion is ‘inert’. The Truth, in Its absolute
nature is motionless, since there is no place for It to move as It fills everywhere. But conditioned by the moving objects, it looks as
though It has movement. You are sitting in a bus & travelling; though you do not move, your body moves with the bus to the
destination.
“Unknowable because of Its incomprehensible subtlety”: The Eternal Consciousness, which is not only within all creatures & objects,
but also everywhere, energising all activity, is not perceivable because of Its extreme subtlety. Gross things like earth, water, fire we
can see, but finer things like the air or space cannot be seen. Cause is always subtler than the effect. The Self is the Eternal
Substratum & the cause of space & other grosser objects. So It is not comprehensible to our gross equipment of senses, thought,
feeling & perception.
“It is far & near”: Limited & unconditioned things can be defined by their location in space, which may be either near or far to you.
But That which is All-pervading, must be at once ‘here’ & ‘there’. Also, the Truth in It’s Transcendental Absolute nature, is’ far away’
from all the hallucinations of names & forms, but at the same time as Existence, Truth exists in every name & form, & is thus ‘near’.
This verse clearly declares that the Absolute Reality is at once transcendent & immanent.

20. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
UNDIVIDED, YET DIVIDED, DEVOURER & GENERATOR
The description of the Self, in riddles, continues.
13.17 And undivided, yet He exists as if divided in beings; That is to be known as the
Supporter of Beings; He devours & He generates.
“Undivided, yet in beings It exists as if divided”: Though the Paramatman is All-pervading, It individualises
Itself as manifestations in living beings. Though space is one, it can manifest as room-space, pot-space etc.
conditioned by the walls or the pot.
“Supporter of all, devouring & generating them”: The earth is the supporter of all plants. It creates &
devours them all. The ocean is the supporter of all waves, it creates & devours all waves. Similarly, Truth is
that solid Omnipotent Substratum upon which is projected the world-of-plurality by the deluded mind &
intellect. When the mind & intellect are transcended, the vision of Samsara gets devoured in the very
experience of the Self, just as on waking, the dream merges into the waker’s mind.
“It is to be known”: All the discussions on the four previous verses was about ‘That which is the Knowable’.
This is to be ‘known’ by a well-prepared mind.

21. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
LIGHT-OF-LIGHTS, KNOWLEDGE, SEATED IN ALL
13.18 That (Brahman), the Light-of-all-lights, is said to be beyond darkness; (It is) Knowledge, the object-
of-Knowledge, seated in the hearts of all, to be reached by Knowledge.
Lord Krishna concludes His elaborate description of the Self with this beautiful verse. Brahman, the illuminator in all, is the
Consciousness by which everything is known, through senses, mind & intellect. It is generally compared with light, shining on all,
enabling us to perceive them.
“Light-of-all-lights”: Sources of light familiar to us like the Sun, Moon, stars, fire etc. are insignificant in brilliance in front of the Light
of the Brahman, which enlighten the former. So Krishna indicates here that the Self, in each of us, is the ‘Light’ which illumines all
other perceptible lights. All sources of light are illumined by my Consciousness, so that I am aware of them. The Self is the subject
that experiences the entire world of objectified light.
“That is said to be beyond the darkness”: In our physical world, we comprehend light as a contrast to darkness. In the sun, however,
there is no darkness. To indicate the Absolute nature of the Infinite ‘Light’ of the Soul, it is stated here that, It is beyond the concept
of darkness. Consciousness is Absolute Light! We can perceive darkness, only through our consciousness, so the ‘Light’ of
Consciousness illumines darkness also. So It must transcend both ‘light’ & ‘darkness’.
“Knowledge, That to be Known, & That reached by Knowledge”: This is the final experience that is to be gained by a seeker. This is
the point-of-concentration, & the very goal of all spiritual endeavours. We reach the point-of-Realisation through the Knowledge of
our identity with the Self.
“Dwelling in the hearts of all”: To negate all misconceptions regarding the location of the ultimate goal of Light-Consciousness, here
it is stated that this Infinite dwells in the hearts of all. When the intellect steadily contemplates upon the ‘Light’ that lies beyond
darkness, It can be contacted & realised, in our own ‘heart’- the mental zone from where noble & pious thoughts spring forth.

22. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE FIELD, KNOWLEDGE & KNOWABLE-CONCLUSION
13.19 Thus the Field, as well as the knowledge & the knowable have been briefly
stated. Knowing this, My devotee enters into My being.
Here Lord Krishna concludes His description of the Field & Its Knower, contained in
the last 13 verses. This is a reinterpretation of the doctrine of the Vedas regarding
these.
Now who among the seekers is really fit for this great ‘Knowledge? Lord Krishna
states that “His devotees alone are fit for My State”. Devotion is not merely an
emotional surrender in love unto the Lord, but an intellectual appreciation of the
Truth about the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. One who is able to recognise the
one Vasudeva, who is the vitalising Conscious-Principle in all Fields-of-matter-
envelopments, is the true devotee ‘Who is fit for My State”. These two entities
together in their combination constitute the entire Universe.

23. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
MATTER & SPIRIT ARE BEGINNINGLESS
13.20 Know you that Matter (Prakriti) & Spirit (Purusha) are both beginningless; & know
you also that all modifications & qualities are born of Prakriti.
Previously Krishna had talked about His lower & upper Prakriti as the cause of creation. The
same idea is renamed here as Purusha & Prakriti.
“Matter (Prakriti) & Spirit (Purusha) are both beginningless”: Matter & Spirit are the two
aspects of Ishwara, the Lord. As the Lord is Eternal, naturally, these two are also Eternal. These
two, in their inter-play, project Creation, continue to preserve it & dissolve the Universe created
by them. The Substratum for both is the Lord.
“All modifications & qualities spring from Matter”: All forms & qualities are born of Matter. All
forms & emotions (Vikaras) & qualities (Gunas) such as pleasure, pain, & delusion originate in
Matter. All changes & modifications belong to the realm-of-Matter & the Atman is the
Changeless substratum, in the presence of which, all these changes take place.

24. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PRAKRITI & PURUSHA
13.21 In the production of ‘Effect & Cause’, Prakriti is said to be the cause; in the experience of ‘Pleasure &
Pain’, Purusha is said to be the cause.
“In the production of cause & effect”: The effects mentioned here are 13 in number, which are: the 5 great elements,
the 5 senses, mind, intellect & ego (Ahamkara). The macrocosmic gross elements in their gunas are themselves
represented in the microcosm as the 5 Indriyas. Mind is the converging point of all the Indriyas. Mind is governed by
the intellect. In the world-of-objects, constituted of the elements, in the realm of the mind & in the responses sent
out by the intellect, there must be a constant sense of I-ness, born out of the person’s identification with the above.
This is called the ‘Ego’. These 13 constitute the ‘effect’.
“Prakriti is said to be the cause”: All the above mentioned together constitute the entire world-of-objects, since all of
them can be perceived.
“Experiencing pleasure & pain”: That which perceives the entire world-of-objects & their reactions upon the ego
which is the person’s direct reaction to the world, is the Self. This Light-of-Consciousness is that which illumines the
world-of-objects outside & the instruments of perception, feeling & thought within
“Purusha is said to be the cause”: Pleasure & pain are the reactions in our intellect towards outside objects &
experiences. It would be impossible to be conscious of the flow of experiences without the Grace of the
Consciousness. So, the Spirit (Purusha) is explained here as the cause of the experiences in life. In short, Purusha is
the cause of Samsara. The Spirit, functioning in a field as the ‘Knower’ of it, suffers the pleasures & sorrows of
Samsara.

25. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PURUSHA SEATED IN PRAKRITI ENJOYS THE WORLD
13.22 The Purusha, seated in Prakriti, experiences the qualities born of Prakriti;
attachment to the qualities is the cause of his birth in good & evil wombs.
“Purusha rests seated in Prakriti”: The Purusha (Spirit) has no Samsara. But the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’,
Purusha, when It identifies with the ‘Field’ (Prakriti), becomes the experiencer. He identifies with the
body & the senses, born out of Prakriti.
“He experiences the Qualities born out of Prakriti”: Sensations arising out of the matter-envelopments
such as pleasure & pain, heat & cold, success & failure etc., constitute the painful shackles on the
‘Knower-of-the-Field’. Because the Spirit makes an unhealthy contact with Prakriti, It suffers the sorrows
of the latter.
“The cause for Its birth in good or evil wombs”: Because of Its attachment with Prakriti, the Spirit
becomes impermanent & limited as the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. It has to take birth in different types of
forms, to fulfil Its attachment to worldly objects & the resultant Vasanas (impressions) developed in Itself.
It looks as though It has forgotten Its Divine nature. This ‘ignorance’ & attachment to the ‘Field’ are the
two causes because of which the Satchidananda becomes the miserable Samsarin.

26. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE GREAT PURUSHA IS THE SPECTATOR, SUPPORTER
13.23 The supreme Purusha in this body is also called the Spectator, the Permitter, the
Supporter, the Enjoyer, the great Lord & the Supreme Self.
As a contrast to the deluded ‘Knower-of-the-Field’, Purusha, there is the Pure Spirit uncontaminated by
the ‘Field’. In this verse, Krishna mentions two Purushas; the LOWER, indicated as the ‘Knower-of-the-
Field’, & the HIGHER, the Pure Consciousness unconditioned by Prakriti. Both function in this body.
This Supreme Self is indicated here: To a deluded person, the Self is an ‘onlooker’- a silent spectator of
whatever he does. When he is not totally forgetful of the Self, the Supreme expresses Himself as a
‘Permitter’. When actions are done with full consciousness of the Self & in a spirit of total surrender to
the Lord, the Lord is the ‘fulfiller’- He aids, as it were, the fulfilment of all such activities. When the
person is a highly dedicated Yoga-Yuktah, in his Eternal Conscious nature, the Self seems to be the
‘enjoyer’.
In conclusion, Lord Krishna states that the great Ishwara, the Lord of Lords is the HIGHER Self in this very
same body.

27. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KNOWER OF PURUSHA & PRAKRITI IS IMMORTAL
13.24 He who thus knows the Purusha & Prakriti together with the qualities, in
whatsoever condition he may be, he is not born again.
Here Lord Krishna gives the assurance that one who has realised in oneself the distinction between the Matter &
Spirit, & how the Spirit gets identified with Matter & behaves as ‘Knower-of-the-Field’, & also the mysteries of the
Gunas, under whose influence the equipment functions- he becomes a man-of-wisdom & immortal.
To know a thing we must stand apart from it. If we are ourselves involved in a situation, we cannot understand it fully.
So to understand the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ together with their interactions, one must stand apart from
them all- In that state, the Spirit, the Substratum is realised. To recognise our own nature to be the absolute, infinite,
Pure Consciousness, is to end all our misconceptions. Once our Avidya is removed, we are liberated from
identification with ‘Field-of-Matter’. Hence, such an individual, it is said, ‘Whatever be his conduct, he is not born
again’. No more Vasanas are created in such a person, as his false egocentric contact with outside world has ended.
Thus he is freed from taking up another body to satisfy the additional Vasanas. The Knower of the Brahman himself
becomes the Infinite Brahman. All his accumulated reactions of actions perish at the moment of Self-realisation.

28. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SEVERAL PATHS TO SELF-KNOWLEDGE
13.25 Some by meditation, behold the Self in the Self by the Self; others by the ‘Yoga-of-
Knowledge’ (by Sankhya Yoga); & others by Karma Yoga.
Now the Lord describes the different paths for attaining Self-Knowledge. The realisation of the Self in its pure nature
is the final goal of spiritual seeking. Integration of a human personality starts from the point where the seeker is at
present. Then through graded lessons he is uplifted to the final goal. Evolution happens only when the subjective life
is changed along with the intellectual appreciation of the theory of Perfection. An active, intelligent & enthusiastic
participation of the seeker in controlling, directing & re-educating his thought-life is necessary.
The Spiritual scientists of the past have evolved various ‘paths’ to suite the different types of seekers. No path is
superior to any other path, but like the medicine for a particular disease, each path fits a particular disposition of the
seeker. The initial paths are meant to purify the inner equipment, & later paths lead the purified mind to the Supreme
Goal. They use meditation which involves withdrawing, by concentration, all the sense-organs from their objects, to
the mind, & then withdrawing the mind into intelligence, & then contemplating on the Highest.
These ‘paths’ are described in the next slide.

29. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SEVERAL PATHS TO SELF-KNOWLEDGE (contd)
13.25 (Continued):
“By the Self in the Self”: By meditation, the Yogins behold the Self, the Pure Consciousness, in the Self(Buddhi), by the Self
(Intelligence). The repeated use of the word “Atman” here is because the intellect, the mind, the seeker & the sought are all
in fact nothing other than the One Self. This ‘path’ of quietening the mind& with an integrated mind-and-intellect,
contemplating steadily upon the transcendental Self, is not a ‘path’ available to all, because it requires certain mental &
intellectual perfection, not seen in general, in all seekers. Those who have them are considered the highest type of aspirants.
They must have developed in themselves detachment (Vairagya) & discrimination (Viveka).
“Others by the ‘path’ of Sankhya Yoga”: For those who have not yet acquired the required amount of steadiness in mind &
intellect, the only remedy is a more intelligent & enthusiastic study of the Shastras. Sankhya is the sequence of logical
thought through which a definite philosophical conclusion is reached. A deep study & reflection (Vichara) give the seeker a
better understanding of the text & therefore, a deeper conviction of the goal, & will safely take him to the Yoga-of-
Meditation.
“Others again by Karma Yoga”: For other seekers to whom even study of the ‘Shastra & effective reflections upon it, is
difficult because of their existing Vasanas, Selfless activity in the spirit of Yajna-Karma Yoga is prescribed. When this path-of-
action is pursued for a time, the existing Vasanas are exhausted & more quietude & tranquillity are experienced. Then they
may go on to the path of Meditation & pursue their goal.

30. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PATH OF REALIZATION FOR THE TAMASIC
13.26 Others also, not knowing this, worship, having heard of it from others; they too,
cross beyond death, if they would regard what they have heard as their Supreme
Refuge.
Here, the Lord gives a path to be followed by the low class of aspirants, completely ignorant of spirituality.
“Having heard from others”: People who are incapable of meditation, unable to follow logical thoughts, or follow the
path-of-Action, can evolve if only they worship the Principle of Truth on the strength of what they have heard from
others.
“They too go beyond death”: If such people constantly worship the Lord as they have been instructed by other
devotees, they too can transcend the finite life of plurality & experience the Changeless. Death here, not only signify
the death of the physical body, but also the total Principle-of-Change as experienced by the human mind & intellect.
To experience the Infinite, is to enter the status of Immortality, beyond the thraldom of death.
All the ‘paths’ are not equally efficient. But this verse emphasises the idea that, in the practice of worship, correct
knowledge shall surely provide a better guarantee of success. It allows even ignorant people to progress by devotion
upon the authority of others’ instructions, but those who can independently appreciate the Shastra & discriminate,
shall progress at a much more faster rate.

31. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE REACHED
13.27 Whenever any being is born, the unmoving or the moving, know you, O best of the
Bharatas, that it is from the union between the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’.
From the marriage of Prakriti & Purusha, all beings are produced. This combination of Matter & Spirit is
only a mutual super-imposition, not a real union. In every super-imposition, a delusion is recognised upon
a substratum, like the snake on the rope. Because of this, the non-existent, snake, comes to exist in our
experience. In the Field-of-Matter, there is no Consciousness & vice versa. But the Spirit plays in the Field,
& the combination breeds the entire phenomenal Universe. When through discrimination, we
successfully discover the play in ourselves, the vision of plurality recedes & we understand that the
Ultimate Truth is the substratum on which both Prakriti & Purusha play.
The Self being complete, projects the matter & identifies with it as the Purusha. Purusha maintaining
Itself in the Field-of-Matter so projected, becomes the source of the entire Samsara. To analyse closely,
with discrimination, to detach courageously, to live as an observer of all that is happening within, & not to
be misled by our own imaginations– is the method of realising the Perfection in ourselves.

32. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SUPREME LORD EXISTS EQUALLY IN ALL
13.28 He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, the unperishing
within the perishing.
“He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord”: The Supreme Lord (Parameshwara) is the Eternal Principle of Pure
Existence. The substratum that supports all, the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. It ‘remains the same
in all beings’.
“The Undying in the Dying”: The world is a field of perpetual change. Nothing remains the same even for
a moment. The things & their relationships with each other change naturally. This is what we observe in
the world of perceptions & in the field of thoughts. It is indicated here that the Absolute Truth is the
Changeless Platform upon which these changes are staged. The Changeless Consciousness that supports
all changes, is the undying Principle that illumines the ever-dying world-of-plurality.
He, who is able to see the Supreme Lord in all names & forms as the unchanging substratum of all
changing entities, alone sees what is to be seen. ‘Seeing’ here means ‘spiritual Self-realisation’. Just as the
eyes cannot see thoughts, so too our sensory perceptions, thoughts or feelings cannot recognise the
subtle Spirit, which transcends all of them. He who recognises the harmony of the One Truth which holds
all experiences together, & is the One in all beings, experiences the Truth to be realised in the world.

33. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
HE WHO SEES THE LORD EQUALLY EVERYWHERE IS LIBERATED
13.29 Indeed, he who sees the same Lord everywhere equally dwelling, destroys not the
Self by the Self; therefore, he goes to the Highest Goal.
“He who sees the Lord dwelling equally in every place alike”: Vedanta preaches a re-evaluation of things,
beings & happenings of the world, looking at them with the clear eye of wisdom. When looked through
the refracting medium of matter envelopments, only plurality & imperfection in the finite objects of the
world are seen. To rediscover the spiritual Reality, the Supreme Lord in everything, is Realisation.
“He destroys not the Self by the Self”: The lower, egocentric individuality, not under the control of the
Higher Principle of Wisdom in us, is the enemy of the Self. But a person of wisdom who recognises &
experiences the One Parameshwara that revels everywhere, is no more under the tyranny of this ego.
“Therefore he goes to the Highest Goal”: The true nature of the Self remains undiscovered due to the
non-apprehension of Reality. This creates a veil because of which we do not recognise the one Eternal
Divine everywhere; also we identify ourselves with the material envelopment, & spend our life satisfying
our sensuality & materialistic pursuits. But upon ending this non-apprehension, he experiences the
Absolute, & reaches the Highest Goal.

34. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ALL ACTIONS ARE PERFORMED BY PRAKRITI ALONE
13.30 He sees, who sees that all actions are performed by Prakriti alone, & that the Self
is actionless.
The same petrol gives different performances from different types of engines; the same
electricity lights different bulbs of various intensity differently. The quality of the equipment , &
not the power source, determines the performance. This is the analogy used here.
“Prakriti alone performs all actions”: In the presence of Spirit, the equipment function, & the
Self, functioning in the ‘Field’ as the ‘Knower of the Field’, acts in the world outside. When the
‘Knower’ leaves the ‘Field’ there is no activity in the ‘Field’.
“The Self is actionless”: The Self, the all-pervading, perfect, Atman, has no desire, & so no
action. In the Infinite there is no action.
“He sees who sees this”: He who is capable of recognising how his own vehicles function &
realising that the Self in him is ever actionless, is alone the right perceiver. The manifestations of
individuals are different from person to person, because the equipment are different.

35. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ALL BEINGS REST IN & SPREAD FROM THAT ONE
13.31 When he (man) sees that the whole variety-of-beings, as resting in the One, &
spreading forth from That (One) alone, he then becomes Brahman.
To know that the Self is the Ultimate Truth behind the names & forms, is, in itself, only a partial
knowledge. To complete the understanding of Life, we have to realise how from the Self the endless
multiplicity of names & forms rise up & spread to become the Universe.
A man of right understanding can recognise ‘The separate existence of all beings in the One’, & also
realises ‘The expansion of plurality from That One alone’. Such complete understanding wherein the man-
of-Wisdom experiences the One Self within & without—enveloping & embracing, penetrating &
nourishing the world of pluralistic names & forms, as well as the measureless Infinite, makes him the
Brahman.
The Self alone can recognise the Self. He who is recognising the one homogeneous Self, & experiencing the
Consciousness in him is one with the homogeneous-mass, Consciousness everywhere, is a person of ‘True
Wisdom’ & ‘Right Perception’. He has himself transcended his own matter-equipment & has come to
identify himself with the One-Consciousness everywhere.

36. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE SUPREME SELF NEITHER ACTS NOR IS TAINTED
13.32 Being without beginning, & being devoid of qualities, the Supreme Self, the
Imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Kaunteya, neither acts, nor is tainted.
Here, the Lord gives some logical reasons why the Infinite Consciousness, “Though dwelling in the body,
neither acts, nor is tainted’.
“Having no beginning”: That which has a cause alone has a beginning. So there is ‘no cause’ for the Self.
Truth being ‘that from which everything comes’, it is the ‘Uncaused cause’ for all that has been created.
That which owes its existence to a Cause becomes itself an Effect & every Effect is nothing other than its
Cause which has undergone a change. All effects are changeable & must perish.
“Having no quality”: That which has qualities is a substance, & all substances are perishable. The
Imperishable, Infinite, the Cause for everything, but causeless, must therefore be without any quality.
“This Supreme Self, Imperishable”: The Uncaused Cause for the entire world of phenomena, devoid of
qualities, Unchangeable Paramatman cannot perish, & devoid of quality It cannot change.
Therefore, the Beginningless, the Qualityless, the Imperishable Supreme Self, though living in the physical
structure & activating it, does not, in Itself, & by Itself, act.

37. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE SELF, BECAUSE OF IT’S SUBTLETY IS NOT TAINTED
13.33 As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, because of its subtlety, so
too the Self, seated everywhere in the body, is not tainted.
“As the all-pervading Akasha (Space) is never soiled”: Akasha is the concept of
pure Space. It is the subtlest of all gross elements, & so it pervades everything
grosser than it. A subtler thing cannot be conditioned by anything grosser. The
Supreme Self, which is the very cause for the Akasha itself, so subtler than it,
“It pervades all; nothing pervades it”. It cannot be contaminated by anything
that exists or happens in the world-of-plurality. As the world is nothing but a
misapprehension of Reality, the realm-of matter & its activities cannot
contaminate & soil the Perfect, Eternal Self.

38. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PARAMATMAN ILLUMINES ALL ‘FIELDS’
13.34 Just as the Sun illumines the whole world, so also the Lord-of-the-Field
(Paramatman) illumines the whole ‘Field’, O Bharata.
This striking example conveys to our intellectual comprehension the exact relationship of the
Consciousness, the Eternal Principle-of-Life, with reference to the world-of-matter. Just as the
one sun illumines the entire world from afar & at all times, so too the Consciousness merely
illumines the world-of-objects, the body, the mind & the intellect.
Sun does not ‘actively’ illumine the world, but, as light is its nature, everything gets illumined by
the presence of the Sun. Similarly, Consciousness is of the nature of awareness & in Its
presence, everything becomes known.
The one Sun illumines everything, good & bad, virtuous & the vicious, & yet it is not sullied by
the ugly, vicious or bad, nor blessed by the good & virtuous. Similarly, the Ever-Perfect & Joyous
Consciousness functions through our matter equipment & illumines them, but It never gets
contaminated by the sins of the mind. It only illumines.

39. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CONCLUSION
13.35 They who with their eye-of-wisdom come to know the distinction between the
‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’, & of the liberation from the ‘Prakriti of the being’, go
to the Supreme.
Lord Krishna concludes this chapter by saying that man’s life is fulfilled only when he, in his
subtle discrimination, successfully meditates upon & realises the constitution, behaviour &
relationship among the ‘Field’, the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’, & the ‘Supreme Self’ in himself. This
can be done only with a fully integrated head-&-heart, which alone can apprehend the Invisible,
Imperishable One.
This realisation makes the man experience the non-existence of the ‘Field’(Prakriti) & therefore,
of the ‘Knower-of-the-Field (the Ego). The ‘Field’ is the material-cause, which has no real
existence. To realise the non-existence of the very material-cause is to live the Infinite Nature of
the Supreme Self in ourselves, as ourselves.
END OF CHAPTER 13.