Chapter-XIV
Field & the Knower of the Field
This chapter discusses the subject of “Field” and “Knower of Field”, together with knowledge. It also takes up the subject of Prakriti and Purusha ( Matter and Spirit) together with Knowledge. Sri Bhawan tells Arjuna that this body is Field ( Kshetra) and him who knows it, the sages discerning the truth about, both refer to the Knower of the Field (Ksetrajana). Know God to be Kshetrajana( individual soul) in all Kshetras. And it is knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajana ( Matter with its evolutes and Spirit) that God considers to be wisdom. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to hear from Him in nutshell about Kshetra, what is it like, what are its evolutes, who is Kshetrajana, what is His glory. The truth about the Kshetra and Kshetrajana has been expounded by the seers in manifold ways; again it has been separately stated in different vedic chants and also in the conclusive and reasoned text of Brahmsutras. The five elements ego,intellect,unmanifest(primordial matter), the ten organs of perception and action, the mind, the five objects of sense( audio, visual, olfactory, tactile and taste); also desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the physical body, consciousness, firmness, that is the Kshetra with its evolutes briefly stated. Absence of pride, freedom from hypocrisy, non-violence, forbearance, straightness of body, speech and mind, devout service of the preceptor, internal and external purity, steadfastness of mind and control of body, mind and the senses. Detachment towards the object of enjoyment of this world and the next, and also the absence of egotism, pondering again and again on on the pain and evils inherent in birth, death,old age and disease. Absence of attachment and feeling of possessiveness in respect of son, wife, home, etc and constant equipoise of both in favourable and unfavourable circumstances. Unflinching devotion to God through exclusive attachment, living in secluded and holy places, and finding no enjoyment in company of men. Fixity in self knowledge and seeing God as object of true knowledge, all this is declared as Knowledge, and what is other than this can only be called ignorance. Vasudev tells Arjuna that He will tell him in detail about what ought to be known and and knowing which one can attain supreme bliss. That supreme Brahma who is Lord of Beginningless Entities is said to be neither Sat ( Being) or Asat ( non-being).It has hands and feet on all sides, eyes, head and mouth in all directions and ears all around because It stands pervading all in the universe. Though perceiving all sense objects It is really speaking devoid of all senses. Nay though unattached, it is sustainer of all nonetheless, and though without any attribute It is the enjoyer of qualities (three modes of Prakriti). It exists without and with all beings and constitutes the animate and inanimate creation as well. And by reason of its subtlety it is incomprehensible, it is close at hand, and stands afar too. Though integral like space in its undivided aspect It appears divided as well in all animate and inanimate beings. And that Godhead, which is the only object worth knowing is the sustainer of being ( or Vishnu), the destroyer ( Shiva or Rudra) and the Creator of all ( Brahma). That supreme Brahma is said to be the light of all lights and entirely beyond Maya. The Godhead is knowledge itself worth knowing and worth attaining through real wisdom, and is particularly seated in the light of all. Thus the truth of the Kshetra and Knowledge as well as object worth knowing God has been briefly discussed. Knowing this in reality, His devotee enters into His being. Know Prakriti and Purusha to be meaningless; and know all modifications such as likes and dislikes etc and all objects constituted of three Gunas as born of Prakriti. It is said to be responsible for bringing forth the evolutes and the instruments, while the individual soul is declared to be the experience of joys and sorrows. Only the Purusha seated in Prakriti senses objects of the nature of these Gunas that are responsible for the birth of this soul in good and evil wombs. The spirit dwelling in this body, is really as the supreme. He has been spoken of as witness, the true guide, the sustainer of all, the experience ( as the embodied soul), the overlord and the Absolute as well. He who thus knows the Purusha and Prakriti together with the Gunas- even though performing his duties in every way is never born again. Some by meditation behold the supreme spirit in the heart with the help of their refined and sharp intellect, others realise Him through the discipline of knowledge, and others again through discipline of Action. Others dull witted persons, however, not knowing thus worship even as they have heard form others; and even those who are devoted to hearing, are able to cross the ocean of mundane existence in the shape of death. Arjuna, whatsoever being, animate or inanimate, is born know it as emanated from the union of Kshetra and Kshetrajana. He alone truly sees, who sees the Supreme Lord as imperishable soul and abides equally in all perishable beings both animate and inanimate. For he who kills not himself by himself by seeing the Supreme Lord, equally present in all, as one thereby reaches the Supreme State. And he alone really sees, who sees all actions being performed in every way by Prakriti alone and the self as non-doer. The moment man perceives the diversified existence of beings as rooted in the one Supreme Spirit, and the spreading forth of all beings from the same very moment he attains Brahma ( who is truth, consciousness and bliss solidified). This being without beginning, and without attributes, this indestructible supreme spirit, though dwelling in the body in fact does nothing, nor gets contaminated. As the all pervading ether is not tainted by reason of its subtlety, so seated everywhere in the body, self is not affected by the attributes of body due to its attribute less character. Arjuna, as the Sun illumines the entire universe, so the one Atma (spirit) illuminates the whole Kshetra ( Body or Field). Those who perceive with the eye of difference between the Kshetra and Kshetrajana and the phenomenon of liberation from Prakriti with her evolutes reach the Supreme Eternal Spirit.
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