It seems that, having kindled the fire of devotion in us, now You want to extinguish the hallucination of duality. You want to makes us one with You. You want to make us realise that we are nothing but You. You are our very essence that is why You have shelved the topic of dualistic devotion in which the devotee and the Lord had to be separate. Now you want the devotion to become an unmanifest internal process in which identification with You is realised. You want us to discard the second person (You) and call You `I'. This appears to be the purpose behind coming back to the knowledge of body or field and the knower of this field.

Here `body' means not only the body of matter but it means the Para and Apara nature spoken of in chapter VII (verses 4 and 5) and whatever has been spoken as `Asat' in verse 16 of chapter II. It has been called Kshetra (field) because like a field it has dimensions, a domain and limitations unlike the Kshetrajyna or `Sat' which is beyond dimensions, domain and limitations. Matter is limited by volume and mass. Energy, also is subject to quantitative qualifications. The senses, mind, ego and intellect have their respective domains of operations - their objects.

Secondly, whatever seeds are sown in the field, grow up in the form of trees and plants which bear fruits. The crop in a field depends both upon the labour of the farmer and the weather that is beyond his effort. Similarly in the field of the world, the fruits of actions depends upon the combination of destiny and effort.

Who knows the Kshetra, is the knower of the field, the Kshetrajyna. He is the omnipresent `Sat'.

Bhagavan Krishna has made it very clear that He is the only Kshetrajyna in all the Kshetras. Thus, as long as we are deluded into believing that we are Kshetra, He appears separate from us in the form of a deity or Lord, when we are established in `Sat' we are Him. He is our very essence. Everything of us is permeated by Him. He knows all of us.

The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajyna is the true knowledge in His opinion who is the omniscient. Who knows better? By this knowledge which is going to be propounded now, we can know our real nature and also the way to deal with the world. The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajyna is a very tricky one. Although Kshetra is nothing but the manifestation of Kshetrajyna, the distinction between the two has to be well understood. Everything within the domain of appearance is Kshetra. The ultimate reality of Kshetra and what is beyond it is Kshetrajyna. One has to be the Kshetrajyna (i.e. Him) and then participate in the activities of the Kshetra. This is the real and practical knowledge.

‘He’ stands for the Kshetrajyna.

Bhagavan Shri Krishna took two verses (verse 3 and 4) just to describe what He was going to describe and the description of the Kshetra and its evolutes is in just a verse and half. (In the second line of the verse 6, He has merely stated that He has finished the description of the Kshetra and its evolutes) Typical of His mysterious way!

The entire universe that we are aware of, and the instruments of perception by which we know it, and also the unmanifest primordial nature from which the objects of perception as well as the instruments of perception have evolved have all be summarily disposed of in just one verse (verse 5). The great elements are earth, fire, space, water and air. `Avyakta' is the unmanifest primordial nature. The ten senses are small, vision, hearing, taste, touch (senses of perception), hands, feet, tongue, reproductive organ, the organ of defecation (senses of action). `The one' is the mind, the inner sense of all the other senses. The five objects of senses are sound, taste, tough, small and visible objects. By summarily despising of the Kshetra that has been described and sung in various ways, Bhagavan wants to emphasis the limitations of the universe known to the ten senses. The universe may be infinite in space or time dimensions but the concepts of space and time are also within the mind. In fact all the perceptions of different senses are united in the mind which gives rise to a conception. The use of the word Ekam (one) in the verse is very appropriate for this reason also.

The first line of the verse 6 describes the evolutes of the Kshetra. Desire, aversion, happiness and sorrow are very familiar to the mind. They arise in the mind either as a result of sense perception or on its own. Sanghata is the gross matter that occupies volume and has inertia. Dhriti, to my mind, is the urge to survive inherent in every being. It is observed that even under extremely painful and hopeless circumstances, a living being instinctively endeavours to prolong its life. This can be called Dhriti.

After describing the Kshetra and its evolutes in belief, Bhagavan now comes to the knowledge of the Kshetra and Kshetrajyna or the manner in which one should behave in the Kshetra, Out of all the qualities mentioned by Bhagavan, only a few require special comments.

Seeing the misery of birth, death, old age and disease does not mean adopting a pessimistic outlook, nor does it mean that everyone must take recourse to this method only. It is well known that Bhagavan Buddha got enlightenment by this method only. Maharshi Ramana got self-realisation through an intense fear of death.

Similarly it may be asked why resorting to solitude has been recommended and whether there is any harm in being fond of company of people. Of course, there is no conflict whatsoever in keeping company of people and leading a busy life. However, some time must be set apart for introspection or meditation. Some time must be set apart, even out of a very busy schedule, to keep an appointment with oneself. Moreover, company of noble and saintly people is beneficial; but just being fond of company of any sort of people leads to wastage of time and exposure to negative thoughts; because in a group, most people just gossip without serving any meaningful purpose. There are people who are just devoted to Bhagavan and they rather lead a lonely life; but everybody need not be like them.

The qualities mentioned above are channels of knowledge - the way to deal with the Kshetra. It is not necessary that every person must have all these qualities. But, lack of all these qualities is ignorance.

Brahma is to be known by whom? Obviously by somebody who is not Brahma or who thinks he is not Brahma. All the knowledge described in the proceeding five verses (verse 7 to 11) as well as the knowledge of that which must be known (Brahma) is needed when one identifies oneself with Kshetra. Once one knows himself to be the Kshetrajyna, no knowledge whatsoever is needed. He is omniscient. He is Shri Krishna. The qualities prescribed in the preceding five verses can be said to be the ideal behaviour with respect to the Kshetra (the world which requires discipline and effort as long as one identifies oneself with Kshetra and becomes spontaneous and natural when one knows oneself to be the Kshetrajyna. The knowledge beginning with this verse can be said to be the knowledge of Kshetrajyna from the point of view of one who has identifies himself with Kshetra.

For a full discussion of Sat and Asat, the reader is requested to refer to the discussion below verse 16 of chapter II. It may be recalled that in verse 19 of chapter IX, Bhagavan had asserted that He is Sat as well as Asat. Here it is said that the Brahma is neither Sat nor Asat. The meaning is that Brahma cannot be pinpointed in any definition. It is not Sat because Asat also is Brahma. It is not Asat because Sat is the essence of Asat. It is beyond both, indefinable and infinite.

Arjuna must have been reminded of the cosmic form shown by Bhagavan Krishna! Are we not seeing the cosmic form all the time? Why, all the hands and feet are His and so are all the eyes, heads, faces and ears! Only we do not know the unity is diversity. We do not see the different looking organs belonging to the same one.

We are really hearing about it as a wonder (verse 29, chapter II) now.

Ishavasyopanishad says `it moves. It does not move. It is far. It is near. It is inside all (the things) and it is on the outside of all'.

Beyond darkness, normally means beyond ignorance - in which there is no possibility of ignorance. But it can also mean that just as it is brighter than all the lights, it is darker than the darkness.

Who is that devotee of Yours for whom all this (description of Kshetra, knowledge, knowable) is meant? Is he Kshetra or Kshetrajyna or different from these two?

The materialists identify themselves with the insentient Kshetra or the Apara Prakriti described by Bhagavan in verse 4, chapter VII. Higher than the materialists are these who know themselves to be beyond the Apara Prakriti or insentient Kshetra but they identify themselves with the Para Prakriti mentioned in verse 5 Chapter VII. They are not beyond ego, but they keep it subdued by devotion. These are the devotees of Bhagavan mentioned in this verse. When they know what has been described so far, they attain His being that is Kshetrajyna - beyond Apara as well as Para Prakriti.

Having explained the knowledge from the point of view of Kshetra and Kshetrajyna, now Shri Krishna talks in terms of Prakriti and Purusha. It can be said that what is Kshetra is Prakriti and what is Kshetrajyna is Purusha. Kshetra is what is known and Kshetrajyna is the knower. As long as something is known, there must be a knower and when there is a knower, there must be something that he knows. Thus the concepts of Kshetra and Kshetrajyna are inter related. There cannot be a Kshetra without there being a Kshetrajyna and there cannot be a Kshetrajyna without a Kshetra. Similarly the concepts of Purusha and Prakriti are inter related and inter dependent. Purusha is a personality and Prakriti is His behaviour. There cannot be a Purusha (personality) without a Prakriti and there cannot be Prakriti (behaviour) without a Purusha to whom the Prakriti belongs. That is why it has been said that both the Purusha and Prakriti are beginningless.

As a matter of fact the relationship between Purusha and Prakriti is very intimate. No one can conceive a person detached from his habits or traits. They are always together and they are one and the same. Similarly, Purusha and Prakriti are not only always together but they are one and the same.

The evolutes and Gunas arise from Prakriti and remain the Prakriti.

Prakriti is the ultimate cause of all effects as well as the means of creating those effects, while Purusha is the ultimate experiencer of all happiness and sorrow. A beautiful flower is the effect created by Prakriti by means of other material inputs that make up the plant. The senses by which we see the flower have also been created by Prakriti. However, the experience of pleasure that we get while watching the beautiful flower belongs ultimately to the Purusha in us. It appears like Lila or play when detachment prevails. It appears like suffering or bondage when attachment prevails.

On account of its association with the Prakriti, the Purusha experiences the Gunas born of Prakriti. Various auspicious and inauspicious births of the Purusha owe this existence to the attachment that Purusha has with the various Gunas. This point will be elaborated in the next chapter.

The Purusha described in the earlier verses is the onlooker because it does not perform any activity - all the activity is performed by the Prakriti through its Gunas. The Purusha only watches the play of Prakriti. On the other hand, whatever the Prakriti does is with the consent of the Purusha. So, Purusha is not a helpless watcher of Prakriti’s actions but the consent giver also, As the great Lord of the entire creation, the Purusha is the sustainer of the entire creation also. The Purusha is the enjoyer of whatever enjoyment Prakriti provides. Finally it is the supreme Self, the essence of everything in the universe.

A number of intellectual doubts can arise here, since the qualities of Purusha described in this verse appear to be contradictory and inconsistent on the intellectual plane. When the Purusha is beyond all the activity, how can it be sustainer and the Lord of the entire creation? If it is the consent giver, how is it that it allows the Gunas of Prakriti to get the better of it resulting in attachment, involvement, cycle of bondage of actions, good and evil rebirths and good and evil actions? If it is the supreme Self of all, how is it that Prakriti appears so different from it?

These questions can be answered at a purely intellectual level. Similar contradictions have also appeared in the description of Brahma in verses 12 to 16 of this chapter. If a three dimensional model is drawn on a two-dimensional paper, certain lines which actually do not interact would appear to be intersecting. Similarly, when something that is beyond the intellect is described within the domain of intellect, contradictions are bound to appear which can be resolved when the domain of intellect is transcended.

In this context, therefore, the best that can be done is to explain the contradictions with reference to isolated similes, which are necessarily imperfect. The very presence of sun sustains the life on the earth. Water is evaporated from the sea, clouds are formed, the rain takes place and the plants manufacture food in the presence of the sunlight. The sun does not have to do any activity. Similarly in the experience of a dream, our mind constructs so many dream objects and beings and a `self' who appears to participate in actions. However, our real self, in spite of permeating the entire dream, and in spite of being the onlooker, enjoyer and lord of the dream world, forgets our essential nature.

Knowing the Purusha and Prakriti means knowing the real truth about Purusha behind the veil of Prakriti. Purusha and Prakriti are inseparable from each other. Just as a dream mind creates a whole world of dream experience with various beings and objects together with a dream personality and senses to enjoy it, the Prakriti creates the entire world of experiences in which the Purusha appears to participate. In essence, the experience of birth and death are as unreal as that of a dream. Hence, Bhagavan Krishna has said that who knows the truth about Purusha and Prakriti is not born again. He sees that birth and death are unreal. When one knows the reality of a dream, it does not matter whether he continues to participate in the dream or not. Similarly, after the reality dawns, it does not matter whether we perform actions or not. We are out of the bondage.

Bhagavan Shri Krishna underlines the unity of the paths of meditation, discriminative knowledge, eightfold Yoga prescribed by Patanjali and the path of selfless action. Different people, according to their nature, adopt different methods for Self-realisation, which ultimately is seeing the Self, in the Self by the Self. The preceding verses were within the method of Sankhya or discriminative knowledge; but Shri Krishna points out that it is not the only way of seeing the reality. The outward manifestations of the process may appear very different in different cases, but inwardly the process is the same that has been described as seeing the Self, in the Self, by the Self.

How kind, graceful and merciful He is! Even those who do not know meditation, discriminative knowledge, Yoga or selfless action and simply worship according to what they hear from others get liberation from death! Even if we are ignorant, devotion on the basis of hearsay will carry us through by His grace. So, it does not matter even if we do not understand the importance of the verses of Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita. We should only sing it with devotion, and He will look after the rest.

Therefore, there is no basic difference between various people engaged in apparently different pursuits. All types of actions, all habits and natures come from the same Kshetra and Kshetrajyna. Even knowledgeable and ignorant come from the same Kshetra and Kshetrajyna alike. This verse underlines the common reality in all manifestations.

Just as in all the transient and perishable dream objects, there abides one imperishable mind equally (by which all the dream objects are permeated). Similarly the supreme Lord who is the supreme Self abides equally in all the perishable beings or manifestations.

When a dreaming person knows that he is dreaming (and the dream also continues), he sees his self pervading all the dream world evenly. Similarly when the seer of the reality sees the Lord pervading the entire universe evenly, he has the true vision. Then he does not destroy the Self by the Self.

A person who does not recognise the Self (like a dreaming person who takes the dream to be reality) as if destroys the Self. Since the Self cannot be destroyed by anything other than itself (which is another way of saying that Self appears as if destroyed only by its own connivance) it is Self only by means of which the Self is destroyed. The enlightened sees the Self at the same time and amidst the universe perceived by the senses. Hence, Self is not hidden to him. The way is then paved for the supreme goal. It means that the supreme goal lies beyond the stage when one has the vision described in this verse.

The example of a dreaming person who is aware that it is a dream makes this point clear. In spite of seeing by means of his dream mind that he is engaged in activity alongwith others, he knows very well that he is not performing any activity. Even the other objects in dream do not perform any activity. All the activity is performed and perceived by the dream mind, which is analogous to nature in the waking world.

Bhagavan Shri Krishna defines the attainment of Brahma. The vision of unity in diversity and the vision of a common origin of all the creation are not matters of intellectual understanding or philosophical conviction. These are consequences of direct perception, stronger than the sense perception, feeling of the mind or conclusion of the intellect. Those who see the reality, abide in the reality all the time, cannot be shaken away from it.

The analogy of a dreamer who is conscious that it is a dream is helpful in understanding, how such a vision can arise. Such a dreamer knows all the diversity of dream objects and beings (including his self in the dream) as abiding in the one that is his waking self. Also, he knows that all the dream objects have emanated from him alone. The universe that we see in our wakeful state is as much a relative domain as the dream world.

Again, the analogy of a dreamer is helpful in understanding the verse.

Since the Self is more subtle than the body or its actions, it is not contaminated by what goes on in the gross world. The example given of space pervading all the objects without being contaminated is perfect.

The example is very illuminating.