Proper Understanding Of The Bhagavad Gita – Part 111

The Chapter that we are presently dealing with is the 13th chapter, Known as KHEYTRA, KHEYTRAGYANA, VIBHAG YOGA – meaning, the special knowledge of the field (body) and knower of the field (Soul or The Spirit). This is also known as matter (Nature, Prakriti) and spirit (Soul, Purusha). This chapter gives a fair idea about every being, the body, mind, and soul and their inter-­relationship. One can get a fair idea about oneself, both the material aspect and the spiritual aspect, and also about the beyond.

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् |
न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् || 29||

samaṁ paśhyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśhvaram
na hinasty ātmanātmānaṁ tato yāti parāṁ gatim

The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 29

General Meaning:

All actions are performed by Prakruti alone, in all beings and the soul is non-doer. The person who perceives this sees the things in reality.

Explanatory Notes:

In all beings, at all times, it is Prakruti or Mother Nature, who does all the activities. The Purusha or the Soul (the Spirit) is really the non-performer. The soul is the witness only, the observer. Those who perceive this Truth, Knows the reality, and he enjoys the right vision.

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वश: |
य: पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति || 30||

prakṛityaiva cha karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ
yaḥ paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati

The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 30

General Meaning:

All the variety of beings are situated in the one only and all these varieties of beings are evolved from That One Only. The moment the Spiritual Seeker realizes this, he attains the Supreme Brahmam, He becomes That.

Explanatory Notes:

As long as there is an individual ego, the spiritual seeker, sees and perceives, many. This ego awareness is the bondage or the ignorance or Maya or relativity. The awareness of individual personalities such as me and mine and I, myself is based on egoism. That is up to the biological egoism or individuality. Neither spiritual awareness nor the awareness of the field and the knower of the field will make any impression. Studying the Bhagavad Gita and simultaneous daily practice of Kriya Yoga help in understanding this and realizing it. Then only one can realize that all the varieties of different individual beings are situated and exist in THAT ONE ONLY. These and Those will evolve from it and are projected from It.

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति |
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा || 31||

yadā bhūta-pṛithag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśhyati
tata eva cha vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā

The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 31

General Meaning:

O Kaunteya (Arjuna), This imperishable, Supreme Self has no beginning and is free from the Gunas. It abides in the body, yet It neither acts nor is involved in it or in anything.

Explanatory Notes:

The deathless, beginning-less, all-pervading Supreme Self abides in the action-oriented, death-prone body. The body or the field is also influenced by the Gunas of Mother Nature or Prakriti. Yet the Supreme Self is beyond the Gunas. Hence the Supreme Self is not involved in any action or anything and is not bound by the Law of Karma or Destiny.

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्यय: |
शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते || 32||

anāditvān nirguṇatvāt paramātmāyam avyayaḥ
śharīra-stho ’pi kaunteya na karoti na lipyateJ

The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 32

General Meaning:

The all-pervading space is extremely subtle. Hence, because of its subtlety, it is not involved or tainted. Similarly, the Soul, though situated everywhere in the body, is not involved in anything.

Explanatory Notes:

The whole Creation is ruled and regulated by Mother Nature, governed by the cosmic law of Karma, colored by the Gunas. But space,which is the support of all, is not ruled by the Law of Karma, because it is extremely subtle. It is beyond Guna and Karma. It is not influenced by Karma or Karma Phala or fruits of actions. It is the Purest, most Perfect and sinless.

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते || 33||

yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyate
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate


The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 33

General Meaning:

O’ Bharat, Like the one Sun in the heavens, illuminates and brightens up the whole world, similarly, the One Master of the Kheytra illuminates and brightens up the Kheytra.

Explanatory Notes:

There is a quotation from one of the ancient law giver of India. It says

EKASCHANDROS TAMOHANTI
NA CH TAARAAGANO API

The meaning is, It is the One Moon only, which dispels the darkness of the night and not the countless numbers of stars. Similarly, it is the One Sun only that dispels the darkness of the whole world and illuminates and brightens up the whole world. It is the Master of the field (Kheytra), the soul who enlivens, energizes, and lightens up the Kheytra (the body, mind, intellect, and ego).

यथा प्रकाशयत्येक: कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रवि: |
क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत || 34||

yathā prakāśhayaty ekaḥ kṛitsnaṁ lokam imaṁ raviḥ
kṣhetraṁ kṣhetrī tathā kṛitsnaṁ prakāśhayati bhārata

The Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 34

General Meaning:

Those, who perceive through their wisdom eye this difference between the Kheytra and the Kheytragnya and also the liberation of the beings from Prakriti, they attain the Supreme.

Explanatory Notes:

The most important thing in God-realization whiles still living this life is to perceive the difference between the Kheytra(the body, mind, intellect, and ego) and the soul or the Inner Self(Kheytragnya) Knower of the Master of the Field. The Kheytra or the field is the matter, is subjected to disease, decay, death, the source of unhappiness, misery, and fear. The Kheytragnya is the soul, deathless, timeless. Its nature is SAT CHIT ANANDA(Brahmam). So one needs to open and activate the wisdom eye or the spiritual eye. Then one can perceive the difference between the Kheytra and the Kheytragnya. And then God-realization becomes possible.

The wisdom eye can be opened through Kriya Yoga Initiation and Practice. This is the easiest and quickest method. So, those who are already initiated into Kriya Yoga, should practice it, lovingly, daily, sincerely. One can realize the difference between our material constituents and the spiritual. And attain Self-realization i.e. SAT CHIT ANAND. Kriya Yoga is worth the practice.

Conclusion of Chapter 13:

Om tat sat iti shreemad bhagavad gita supanisadsu brahma vidyayam yoga shastrey, shree krusnarjuna sambadey, kheytra kheytragnya bibhaaga jogo naama trayodasho adhyaayah.

General Meaning:

OM God is the only Truth. Thus ends the 13th Chapter of the Upanisad of God Knowledge of the Holy Bhagavad Gita consisting of the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, regarding the Yoga of distinction between the Kheytra (Field) and Kheytragnya (the Master of the field). Dear Godlike friends; in reality, in the Absolute Sense, your eternal identity is Khetragnya or Knower or Master of the field. Your instruments of action are the body, the mind, the intellect, and the ego. This is the field on material aspects of you. The more you are tuned into your spiritual or the Khetragyna aspect of you, the happier you will be and the more enjoyable and less stressful will be your life.

May God bless you with Love, Laughter, Light, Longevity and Life.

With Love and Best Wishes,
Paramahansa Atmananda Ji