Chapter 13

Arjuna. Now would I hear, O gracious Kesava!²⁶ Of Life which seems, and Soul beyond, which sees, And what it is we know-or think to know.

Arjuna. Now I would like to hear, gracious Kesava!²⁶ About Life as it appears, and the Soul beyond it that sees, And about what we know, or think we know.

Krishna. Yea! Son of Kunti! for this flesh ye see Is Kshetra, is the field where Life disports; And that which views and knows it is the Soul, Kshetrajna. In all "fields," thou Indian prince! I am Kshetrajna. I am what surveys! Only that knowledge knows which knows the known By the knower!²⁷ What it is, that "field" of life, What qualities it hath, and whence it is, And why it changeth, and the faculty That wotteth it, the mightiness of this, And how it wotteth-hear these things from Me!

Krishna. Yes, Son of Kunti! The body you see Is Kshetra, the field where Life plays. The Soul, which observes and knows the body, Is Kshetrajna. In all "fields," you Indian prince, I am Kshetrajna. I am the one who observes! True knowledge means knowing what is known And who knows it!²⁷ Hear from me what this "field" of life is, What qualities the field has, and where the field comes from. Hear why the field changes, and about the power That knows the field, how great that power is, And how that power knows the field.

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The elements, the conscious life, the mind, The unseen vital force, the nine strange gates Of the body, and the five domains of sense; Desire, dislike, pleasure and pain, and thought Deep-woven, and persistency of being; These all are wrought on Matter by the Soul!

The elements, conscious life, the mind, The unseen life force, the body's nine strange gates, And the five realms of the senses. Desire, dislike, pleasure and pain, deeply woven Thought, and the persistence of existence. The Soul shapes all these in Matter!

Humbleness, truthfulness, and harmlessness, Patience and honour, reverence for the wise. Purity, constancy, control of self, Contempt of sense-delights, self-sacrifice, Perception of the certitude of ill In birth, death, age, disease, suffering, and sin; Detachment, lightly holding unto home, Children, and wife, and all that bindeth men; An ever-tranquil heart in fortunes good And fortunes evil, with a will set firm To worship Me--Me only! ceasing not; Loving all solitudes, and shunning noise Of foolish crowds; endeavours resolute To reach perception of the Utmost Soul, And grace to understand what gain it were So to attain,--this is true Wisdom, Prince! And what is otherwise is ignorance!

Humility, honesty, and doing no harm. Patience, honor, and respect for the wise. Purity, steadiness, and self-control. Disdain for sensory pleasures and self-sacrifice. Awareness of the suffering that inevitably comes With birth, death, aging, disease, suffering, and sin. Detachment, holding lightly to home, Children, wife, and everything that binds people. A heart that stays calm in good times And bad times, with a firm resolve To worship me, and me alone, without ceasing. Love of solitude, avoiding the noise Of foolish crowds. Determined efforts To perceive the Supreme Soul. And the grace to understand the value Of reaching that goal. These qualities are true wisdom, Prince! Everything else is ignorance!

Now will I speak of knowledge best to know- That Truth which giveth man Amrit to drink, The Truth of HIM, the Para-Brahm, the All, The Uncreated;; not Asat, not Sat, Not Form, nor the Unformed; yet both, and more;-- Whose hands are everywhere, and everywhere Planted His feet, and everywhere His eyes Beholding, and His ears in every place Hearing, and all His faces everywhere Enlightening and encompassing His worlds. Glorified in the senses He hath given, Yet beyond sense He is; sustaining all, Yet dwells He unattached: of forms and modes Master, yet neither form nor mode hath He; He is within all beings--and without-- Motionless, yet still moving; not discerned For subtlety of instant presence; close To all, to each; yet measurelessly far! Not manifold, and yet subsisting still In all which lives; for ever to be known As the Sustainer, yet, at the End of Times, He maketh all to end--and re-creates. The Light of Lights He is, in the heart of the Dark Shining eternally. Wisdom He is And Wisdom's way, and Guide of all the wise, Planted in every heart.

Now I will speak of the knowledge most worth knowing. This Truth gives people Amrit to drink, The Truth of him, the Para-Brahm, the All, The Uncreated, neither Asat nor Sat, Neither Form nor the Unformed, yet both, and more. His hands are everywhere, and everywhere His feet are planted. His eyes see everywhere, And his ears are everywhere, Hearing all. All his faces are everywhere, Lighting and surrounding his worlds. His glory shines through the senses he has given, Yet he is beyond the senses. He sustains all, Yet remains unattached. He is master Of forms and modes, yet has neither form nor mode. He is within all beings and outside them. He is motionless, yet always moving. He goes unseen Because his immediate presence is so subtle. He is close To all, to each, yet immeasurably far away! He is undivided, yet continues to exist In all that lives. He must always be known As the Sustainer. Yet, at the End of Times, He brings all to an end and creates again. He is the Light of Lights, shining in the heart of the Dark Forever. He is Wisdom, Wisdom's way, and the Guide of all the wise, Rooted in every heart.

So have I told Of Life's stuff, and the moulding, and the lore To comprehend. Whoso, adoring Me, Perceiveth this, shall surely come to Me!

So I have explained The substance of life, its shaping, and the knowledge Needed to understand. Whoever worships me And understands these things will surely come to me!

Know thou that Nature and the Spirit both Have no beginning! Know that qualities And changes of them are by Nature wrought; That Nature puts to work the acting frame, But Spirit doth inform it, and so cause Feeling of pain and pleasure. Spirit, linked To moulded matter, entereth into bond With qualities by Nature framed, and, thus Married to matter, breeds the birth again In good or evil yonis.²⁹

Know that Nature and Spirit both Have no beginning. Know that Nature creates qualities And changes in those qualities. Nature sets the body in motion, But Spirit gives the body life and so causes Feelings of pain and pleasure. Spirit, joined To physical matter, becomes bound To the qualities Nature creates. So, Bound to matter, Spirit brings about rebirth In good or evil yonis.²⁹

Yet is this Yea! in its bodily prison!--Spirit pure, Spirit supreme; surveying, governing, Guarding, possessing; Lord and Master still PURUSHA, Ultimate, One Soul with Me.

Yet this is pure Spirit, yes, even in its bodily prison! The Spirit is supreme, watching, governing, guarding, possessing. It is still Lord and Master, PURUSHA, the Ultimate, one soul with me.

Whoso thus knows himself, and knows his soul PURUSHA, working through the qualities With Nature's modes, the light hath come for him! Whatever flesh he bears, never again Shall he take on its load. Some few there be By meditation find the Soul in Self Self-schooled; and some by long philosophy And holy life reach thither; some by works: Some, never so attaining, hear of light From other lips, and seize, and cleave to it Worshipping; yea! and those--to teaching true-- Overpass Death!

Whoever knows himself this way, and knows his soul, PURUSHA, working through the qualities And modes of Nature, has found the light! Whatever body he has, never again Will he bear the body's burden. A few Find the Soul within the Self through meditation, Teaching themselves. Some reach the Soul through long study of philosophy And a holy life. Some reach the Soul through action. Some never reach the Soul by these paths, but hear of the light From others, embrace the light, and hold firmly to it In worship. Yes, those faithful to true teaching also Pass beyond Death!

Wherever, Indian Prince! Life is--of moving things, or things unmoved, Plant or still seed--know, what is there hath grown By bond of Matter and of Spirit: Know He sees indeed who sees in all alike The living, lordly Soul; the Soul Supreme, Imperishable amid the Perishing: For, whoso thus beholds, in every place, In every form, the same, one, Living Life, Doth no more wrongfulness unto himself, But goes the highest road which brings to bliss. Seeing, he sees, indeed, who sees that works Are Nature's wont, for Soul to practise by Acting, yet not the agent; sees the mass Of separate living things--each of its kind-- Issue from One, and blend again to One: Then hath he BRAHMA, he attains!

Wherever life exists, Indian Prince, In moving creatures or things that do not move, In plants or dormant seeds, know that all have grown From the union of Matter and Spirit. Know this: Whoever sees the same Soul in all truly sees. This is the living, sovereign Soul, the Supreme Soul, Undying among things that die. For whoever sees, in every place And every form, the same single living Life, No longer does harm to himself, But follows the highest path to bliss. Whoever sees that actions belong to Nature truly sees. Nature acts so that the Soul may gain experience. The Soul acts, yet is not the doer. Whoever sees the many Separate living things, each of its own kind, Come from One and merge again into One, Has then reached BRAHMA!

O Prince! That Ultimate, High Spirit, Uncreate, Unqualified, even when it entereth flesh Taketh no stain of acts, worketh in nought! Like to the ethereal air, pervading all, Which, for sheer subtlety, avoideth taint, The subtle Soul sits everywhere, unstained: Like to the light of the all-piercing sun [Which is not changed by aught it shines upon,] The Soul's light shineth pure in every place; And they who, by such eye of wisdom, see How Matter, and what deals with it, divide; And how the Spirit and the flesh have strife, Those wise ones go the way which leads to Life!

O Prince! That supreme Spirit is uncreated And has no defining qualities. Even when the Spirit enters flesh, The Spirit is untouched by actions and does nothing! Like the air that fills all space, Yet is too fine to be stained, The subtle Soul is everywhere, unstained. Like the light of the sun that reaches everywhere, [And is unchanged by anything it shines upon,] The Soul's light shines pure in every place. Those who see with such wisdom Understand the difference between Matter and what interacts with Matter. They also understand the conflict between Spirit and flesh. Those wise ones follow the path that leads to Life!

HERE ENDS CHAPTER XIII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Kshetrakshetrajnavibhagayog," Or "The Book of Religion by Separation of Matter and Spirit."

Here ends Chapter 13 of the Bhagavad-Gita, titled "Kshetrakshetrajnavibhagayog," or "The Book of Religion Through the Separation of Matter and Spirit."