THE HOLY GEETACOMMENTARY by

swami Chinmayananda

T K G NAMBOODHIRITHIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA

Presentation adapted from

THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013

Mumbai

THE Holy GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

CHAPTER 13

KSHETRA KSHETRAJNA VIBHAGA YOGA

THE FIELD AND IT’S KNOWER

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 directexplanation of the SELF, separate from the material equipment & other worldlymaterials. Here we have an exhaustive exposition of how to meditate directly upon theImperishable Formless Spirit. This chapter is an elaboration of the things discussed inchapters 7 & 8, ‘Knowledge & Experience’ & ‘ Imperishable Brahman’. The last 6chapters starting with this form the third of the three groups which explain the VedanticMahavakya “THAT THOU ART”, & deals with the inter relationships between That &Thou.Spirit functioning through matter-envelopments is the living organism. ‘That’ dressed upin matter is ‘Thou’. This distinction between the inert matter- equipment & the vibrantspark-of-life, the Spirit, is presented to us in this chapter, named The Field & It’s Knower.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA’S QUESTION13.1 Arjuna said:Prakriti (matter) & Purusha (Spirit), also the Kshetra (the Field) & Kshetrajna (theKnower-of-the-Field), Knowledge & that which ought to be known—these I wish tolearn, O Keshava.In several manuscripts, this verse is omitted. Here, Arjuna wishes to know the meanings of several termsused in the scriptures:“Prakriti & Purusha”: In Sankhya Philosophy, these terms indicate the inert-equipment (Prakriti) & thevital sentient-Truth (Purusha) that sets the matter in action. Prakriti is matter & Purusha is the Spirit. TheSpirit plays through matter & experiences the world.“The Field & the Knower-of-the-Field”: The Knower-of-the –Field is the status of the Knowing-Principlewhen 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 allliving creatures. Hence, the ‘mechanism of knowing’ & its manipulations & the ‘true object to be known’are helpful to all seekers.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

KSHETRA & KSHETRAJNAThe Blessed Lord said:13.2 This body, O Kaunteya is called Kshetra (the Field) & he who knows it is calledKshetrajna (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 envelopmentsthat condition the Spirit. Philosophically viewed, there are two aspects in a living man: the inert & insentient matter layers, & thesentient & 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 breezeunless 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, expressedthrough the equipment, is what we recognise as its life. The capacity of an organism to receive stimuli & send forth responses is thetransaction 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 kingdomof matter; and the vital knower of the world-of-matter, constituted of the equipment & their array of perceptions, feelings &thoughts, is the Spirit.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

KNOWER OF THE FIELD13.3 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 Fieldsthe Knower is One, then the plurality is only in the matter envelopment, & the Life that presidesover 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 identifyingHimself with the Self that is everywhere.In the second line, Krishna declares that, according to Him, a correct knowledge of whatconstitutes 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

DETAILS ABOUT THE FIELD & THE KNOWER13.4 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’ (theKshetra), but also of what it is in itself. What are its properties? What effects arise fromwhat causes? what is its origin? Who is He, the Knowing Principle in the field? What areHis powers of perception, feeling & thought? All these ‘hear briefly from Me’.To know the nature of all matter envelopments-their play & how they behave undergiven sets of different circumstances- is to know the ‘Field’. Physiology, Biology,Psychology & all the natural sciences are involved in this understanding. The spiritualpath, especially the path-of-Knowledge, is the culmination of the fulfilment of thesecular sciences. Lord Krishna emphasises here the importance of a close study of the‘Field’.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

RISHIS HAVE SUNG ABOUT THE FIELD &THE KNOWER13.5 Rishis have sung (about) the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’ in manyways, in various distinctive chants & also in the suggestive words indicative ofBrahman, full of reason & decision.Krishna assures us here again that what He explains is only a restatement ofwhat “has been sung by the Rishis in many ways, in different Hymns,severally”. The subject matter dealt with here is the very theme which theUpanishads have indicated in their secret verses, especially those aboutBrahman. Why should we believe them? Krishna says: our Upanishaddeclarations are “Full of reasoning & so convincing”. When a Truth is declared,along with logical reasoning, the conclusions arrived at are acceptable to anyintelligent seeker.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIELD-24 TATWAS13.6 The great elements, egoism, intellect, & also the unmanifested (moola-Prakriti), theten 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 thecombinations 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’ ofthe 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 theVasanas. 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 thestimuli & 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 forthresponses 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE FIELD-MODIFICATIONS13.7 Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, aggregate (body), intelligence, fortitude-this Kshetrahas been thus briefly described with its modifications.Lord Krishna in describing the ‘Field’ does not stop with these gross ‘equipment-of-matter’, butHe includes even their modifications such as desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the assemblage ofthe body, intelligence, steadfastness, etc. Not only do the gross body, mind & intellect constitutethe 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 anobject. Mental, emotional, & intellectual ideas are also the objects of our knowledge. The entireworld 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 whatconstitute 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

MENTAL & EMOTIONAL ATTRIBUTES FOR THE KNOWER13.8 Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to theteacher, 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 & asceticpractices conducive to spiritual awakening.“Humility”: Absence of self-pride; “Modesty”: non-proclamation of one’s own greatness; “Non-Injury”: toany living being by our own vicious intentions & feelings: “Forgiveness (Patience)”: capacity to suffer longwithout being upset; “Uprightness”: comes to him who harmonises thoughts, words & deeds, & whointents 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, surroundingenvironments, & 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 worldoutside. (to be continued).

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

FEELINGS & PERCEPTIONS

13.9 Indifference to the objects of the senses, & also the absence of egoism, perceptionof (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 theobjects of the world, ability to switch off our mental preoccupations with them; being detached to them & remainingunshackled by them-Vairagya.

“Abandonment of the thought of ‘I’ “: To reduce the misconception of ourselves as the material equipment & theirperceptions, 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 ofexistence. So we should be aware of the despicable & tragic conditions of our existence in the world. This awarenessprompts us to seek fresh fields of greater joy. A seeker must be constantly conscious of the evil of the pain in hispresent 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 asource of fresh sorrow. In all these stages of our metamorphosis, to constantly recognise pain is to be impatient withit. This sense of revolt against pain is the fuel that drives the seekers faster to peaks of Perfection.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

NON-ATTACHMENT, NON-IDENTIFICATION & EVEN-MINDEDNESS13.10 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 isattachment. It is the mental contacts with the world outside that brings agitations tothe mind. A seeker should be non-attached to understand the “Knower”.“Absence of excessive love for child, wife, home etc.”: Excessive love, or affection, isan intense form of attachment to another. It consists of our total identification withthe object of our affection. A seeker should discriminate & keep such attachments tonon-Self away to attain the equipoise, without which spiritual progress is difficult.“Evenness of Mind in desirable & undesirable”: With practice, this evenness of mindcan be maintained unbroken in all situations of life, whether they are of desirable orundesirable nature.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

UNSWERVING DEVOTION TO ME & DISTASTE FOR SOCIETY13.11 Unswerving devotion unto Me by the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitaryplaces, 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 ofenergy. 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 mentalexcitements & agitations is concentration. This may be destroyed by causes arising in the mind or in the point ofconcentration. So both must be steady. So the Lord advises unflinching devotion towards Him, the Self, only as one ofthe conditions for deep concentration.“By the Yoga of Non-Separation”: Undivided attention & enthusiasm of the devotee is the other condition. Wildimaginations & futile daydreaming must be avoided. Krishna says that the mind should be ‘unprostituting’ with itspoint 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 ofnon-otherness. Such steady contemplation requires a suitable environment, which is indicated by 1) resort to solitaryplaces & 2) distaste for a crowded social life. It is a fact that whenever our mind is fascinated by any ideal or task, welose all our contacts with other tasks or people, & concentrate on our fascination. So an integrated devotee walksalone in the world, & he hates other thoughts entering his mind.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

COMPLETING THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE13.12 Constancy in Self-knowledge, perception of the end of true knowledge-this isdeclared 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 theSelf is one everywhere & the Self alone is real, the seeker should try to live as the Self at all levels of hispersonality. 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 hisefforts. Sincerity of purpose in, & undying devotion to, any endeavour can be had only if the seeker isthrilled by the vision of the goal that he has to reach. Liberation from all our imperfections & limitations isthe ‘end’ striven for by all spiritual seekers.“This is declared to be ‘Knowledge’ ”: These twenty attributes are declared to be ‘Knowledge’ becausethey 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THAT WHICH HAS TO BE KNOWN13.13 I will declare that which has to be ‘known’ knowing which one attains to Immortality—thebeginningless 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 elaboratedescription 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 bymatter & suffers the delusory sense of finitude & mortality. To rediscover the Spiritual Nature in itself & to live thatglory 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 isborn from It.“The Supreme Consciousness”: Brahman is the ‘illuminator of all experiences & which exists, transcending all realmsof experiences. It, being the very Perceiving-Principle, is beyond our sense-perceptions. Hence It is not said to beExistent (Sat). Nor can Truth be defined as non-Existent (Asat), for It manifests as the world. Therefore, Truth can bedefined only as ‘neither Sat or Asat’.These concepts of ‘Sat’ & ‘Asat’ are judgements of the human mind & intellect. The Consciousness that illuminesthese judgements is the Brahman, which is the one ‘Subject’ for which all else are ‘Objects’. The illuminator & theillumined cannot be one & the same. Hence, all that our Scriptures can declare is that the Brahman is “Neither Beingnor Non-Being”.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE ALL-PERVADING BRAHMAN13.14 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 termsof the known. Hands & feet are familiar to us. Though the Brahman is formless, it is alluded herethat He activates the inert hands & feet of all creatures everywhere.“Everywhere possessing eyes, ears & mouths”: Every eye, head & mouth functions in the worldbecause of the Life that pulsates through them. As Life is one everywhere, all activities ofperception, feeling & thinking are attributed to It.“That exists pervading all”: To remove any doubts in the minds of listeners regarding thefunctioning of the Brahman, only through known physical equipment, Lord Krishna states herethat 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”.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ENJOYING SENSES, BUT WITHOUT SENSES13.15 Shining by the functions of all senses, yet without the senses, unattached, yetsupporting 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 theequipment, 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 thatsupports the clothes. Similarly, the world of plurality is not Consciousness, yet Consciousness supports it. Only thewaking mind supports the ‘dreams’.“Without Gunas, yet enjoying all Gunas”: Gunas are influences that govern the mind & yet they are the objects ofperception for the Conscious Self. A live mind alone can experience these influences. Consciousness conditioned bythe 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

WITHOUT & WITHIN, UNMOVING & MOVING13.16 Without & within (all) beings, the ‘unmoving’ & also the ‘moving’; because of Its subtletyunknowable; & 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, & istherefore, Unmanifest. Though we can hear a radio programme only through a radio receiver, the radio waves fill all theatmosphere. 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 absolutenature is motionless, since there is no place for It to move as It fills everywhere. But conditioned by the moving objects, it looks asthough It has movement. You are sitting in a bus & travelling; though you do not move, your body moves with the bus to thedestination.“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 wecan see, but finer things like the air or space cannot be seen. Cause is always subtler than the effect. The Self is the EternalSubstratum & 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

UNDIVIDED, YET DIVIDED, DEVOURER & GENERATORThe 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 theSupporter of Beings; He devours & He generates.“Undivided, yet in beings It exists as if divided”: Though the Paramatman is All-pervading, It individualisesItself 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 isthat 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 veryexperience 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

LIGHT-OF-LIGHTS, KNOWLEDGE, SEATED IN ALL13.18 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 theConsciousness 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 Lightof the Brahman, which enlighten the former. So Krishna indicates here that the Self, in each of us, is the ‘Light’ which illumines allother perceptible lights. All sources of light are illumined by my Consciousness, so that I am aware of them. The Self is the subjectthat 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 conceptof darkness. Consciousness is Absolute Light! We can perceive darkness, only through our consciousness, so the ‘Light’ ofConsciousness 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 isthe point-of-concentration, & the very goal of all spiritual endeavours. We reach the point-of-Realisation through the Knowledge ofour identity with the Self.“Dwelling in the hearts of all”: To negate all misconceptions regarding the location of the ultimate goal of Light-Consciousness, hereit is stated that this Infinite dwells in the hearts of all. When the intellect steadily contemplates upon the ‘Light’ that lies beyonddarkness, It can be contacted & realised, in our own ‘heart’- the mental zone from where noble & pious thoughts spring forth.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE FIELD, KNOWLEDGE & KNOWABLE-CONCLUSION13.19 Thus the Field, as well as the knowledge & the knowable have been brieflystated. Knowing this, My devotee enters into My being.Here Lord Krishna concludes His description of the Field & Its Knower, contained inthe last 13 verses. This is a reinterpretation of the doctrine of the Vedas regardingthese.Now who among the seekers is really fit for this great ‘Knowledge? Lord Krishnastates that “His devotees alone are fit for My State”. Devotion is not merely anemotional surrender in love unto the Lord, but an intellectual appreciation of theTruth about the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. One who is able to recognise theone 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 entitiestogether in their combination constitute the entire Universe.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

MATTER & SPIRIT ARE BEGINNINGLESS13.20 Know you that Matter (Prakriti) & Spirit (Purusha) are both beginningless; & knowyou also that all modifications & qualities are born of Prakriti.Previously Krishna had talked about His lower & upper Prakriti as the cause of creation. Thesame idea is renamed here as Purusha & Prakriti.“Matter (Prakriti) & Spirit (Purusha) are both beginningless”: Matter & Spirit are the twoaspects of Ishwara, the Lord. As the Lord is Eternal, naturally, these two are also Eternal. Thesetwo, in their inter-play, project Creation, continue to preserve it & dissolve the Universe createdby them. The Substratum for both is the Lord.“All modifications & qualities spring from Matter”: All forms & qualities are born of Matter. Allforms & emotions (Vikaras) & qualities (Gunas) such as pleasure, pain, & delusion originate inMatter. All changes & modifications belong to the realm-of-Matter & the Atman is theChangeless substratum, in the presence of which, all these changes take place.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

PRAKRITI & PURUSHA13.21 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 themselvesrepresented in the microcosm as the 5 Indriyas. Mind is the converging point of all the Indriyas. Mind is governed bythe intellect. In the world-of-objects, constituted of the elements, in the realm of the mind & in the responses sentout 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 ofthem can be perceived.“Experiencing pleasure & pain”: That which perceives the entire world-of-objects & their reactions upon the egowhich is the person’s direct reaction to the world, is the Self. This Light-of-Consciousness is that which illumines theworld-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 theConsciousness. So, the Spirit (Purusha) is explained here as the cause of the experiences in life. In short, Purusha isthe cause of Samsara. The Spirit, functioning in a field as the ‘Knower’ of it, suffers the pleasures & sorrows ofSamsara.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

PURUSHA SEATED IN PRAKRITI ENJOYS THE WORLD13.22 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 thebody & the senses, born out of Prakriti.“He experiences the Qualities born out of Prakriti”: Sensations arising out of the matter-envelopmentssuch 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 sorrowsof the latter.“The cause for Its birth in good or evil wombs”: Because of Its attachment with Prakriti, the Spiritbecomes impermanent & limited as the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. It has to take birth in different types offorms, 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 thetwo causes because of which the Satchidananda becomes the miserable Samsarin.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE GREAT PURUSHA IS THE SPECTATOR, SUPPORTER13.23 The supreme Purusha in this body is also called the Spectator, the Permitter, theSupporter, 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 bythe ‘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 ofwhatever 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 tothe Lord, the Lord is the ‘fulfiller’- He aids, as it were, the fulfilment of all such activities. When theperson 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 verysame body.

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, inwhatsoever 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 theGunas, 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 fromthem 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 fromidentification with ‘Field-of-Matter’. Hence, such an individual, it is said, ‘Whatever be his conduct, he is not bornagain’. 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 himselfbecomes the Infinite Brahman. All his accumulated reactions of actions perish at the moment of Self-realisation.

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 natureis the final goal of spiritual seeking. Integration of a human personality starts from the point where the seeker is atpresent. Then through graded lessons he is uplifted to the final goal. Evolution happens only when the subjective lifeis changed along with the intellectual appreciation of the theory of Perfection. An active, intelligent & enthusiasticparticipation 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 issuperior to any other path, but like the medicine for a particular disease, each path fits a particular disposition of theseeker. The initial paths are meant to purify the inner equipment, & later paths lead the purified mind to the SupremeGoal. They use meditation which involves withdrawing, by concentration, all the sense-organs from their objects, tothe mind, & then withdrawing the mind into intelligence, & then contemplating on the Highest.

These ‘paths’ are described in the next slide.

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 allin 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.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

PATH OF REALIZATION FOR THE TAMASIC13.26 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 SupremeRefuge.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 thepath-of-Action, can evolve if only they worship the Principle of Truth on the strength of what they have heard fromothers.“They too go beyond death”: If such people constantly worship the Lord as they have been instructed by otherdevotees, they too can transcend the finite life of plurality & experience the Changeless. Death here, not only signifythe 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, correctknowledge shall surely provide a better guarantee of success. It allows even ignorant people to progress by devotionupon the authority of others’ instructions, but those who can independently appreciate the Shastra & discriminate,shall progress at a much more faster rate.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE REACHED13.27 Whenever any being is born, the unmoving or the moving, know you, O best of theBharatas, 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 isonly a mutual super-imposition, not a real union. In every super-imposition, a delusion is recognised upona substratum, like the snake on the rope. Because of this, the non-existent, snake, comes to exist in ourexperience. 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, wesuccessfully discover the play in ourselves, the vision of plurality recedes & we understand that theUltimate Truth is the substratum on which both Prakriti & Purusha play.The Self being complete, projects the matter & identifies with it as the Purusha. Purusha maintainingItself 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 tobe misled by our own imaginations– is the method of realising the Perfection in ourselves.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

SUPREME LORD EXISTS EQUALLY IN ALL13.28 He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, the unperishingwithin the perishing.“He sees, who sees the Supreme Lord”: The Supreme Lord (Parameshwara) is the Eternal Principle of PureExistence. The substratum that supports all, the ‘Field’ & the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’. It ‘remains the samein all beings’.“The Undying in the Dying”: The world is a field of perpetual change. Nothing remains the same even fora moment. The things & their relationships with each other change naturally. This is what we observe inthe world of perceptions & in the field of thoughts. It is indicated here that the Absolute Truth is theChangeless Platform upon which these changes are staged. The Changeless Consciousness that supportsall 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 allchanging entities, alone sees what is to be seen. ‘Seeing’ here means ‘spiritual Self-realisation’. Just as theeyes cannot see thoughts, so too our sensory perceptions, thoughts or feelings cannot recognise thesubtle Spirit, which transcends all of them. He who recognises the harmony of the One Truth which holdsall experiences together, & is the One in all beings, experiences the Truth to be realised in the world.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

HE WHO SEES THE LORD EQUALLY EVERYWHERE IS LIBERATED13.29 Indeed, he who sees the same Lord everywhere equally dwelling, destroys not theSelf 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 throughthe refracting medium of matter envelopments, only plurality & imperfection in the finite objects of theworld 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 theHigher 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 thenon-apprehension of Reality. This creates a veil because of which we do not recognise the one EternalDivine everywhere; also we identify ourselves with the material envelopment, & spend our life satisfyingour sensuality & materialistic pursuits. But upon ending this non-apprehension, he experiences theAbsolute, & reaches the Highest Goal.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ALL ACTIONS ARE PERFORMED BY PRAKRITI ALONE13.30 He sees, who sees that all actions are performed by Prakriti alone, & that the Selfis actionless.The same petrol gives different performances from different types of engines; the sameelectricity 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, & theSelf, 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 noaction. 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 ofindividuals are different from person to person, because the equipment are different.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ALL BEINGS REST IN & SPREAD FROM THAT ONE13.31 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 partialknowledge. To complete the understanding of Life, we have to realise how from the Self the endlessmultiplicity 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’, & alsorealises ‘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 theBrahman.The Self alone can recognise the Self. He who is recognising the one homogeneous Self, & experiencing theConsciousness in him is one with the homogeneous-mass, Consciousness everywhere, is a person of ‘TrueWisdom’ & ‘Right Perception’. He has himself transcended his own matter-equipment & has come toidentify himself with the One-Consciousness everywhere.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE SUPREME SELF NEITHER ACTS NOR IS TAINTED13.32 Being without beginning, & being devoid of qualities, the Supreme Self, theImperishable, 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 itsCause 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. TheImperishable, 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 ofqualities, Unchangeable Paramatman cannot perish, & devoid of quality It cannot change.Therefore, the Beginningless, the Qualityless, the Imperishable Supreme Self, though living in the physicalstructure & activating it, does not, in Itself, & by Itself, act.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE SELF, BECAUSE OF IT’S SUBTLETY IS NOT TAINTED13.33 As the all-pervading ether is not tainted, because of its subtlety, sotoo the Self, seated everywhere in the body, is not tainted.

“As the all-pervading Akasha (Space) is never soiled”: Akasha is the concept ofpure Space. It is the subtlest of all gross elements, & so it pervades everythinggrosser than it. A subtler thing cannot be conditioned by anything grosser. TheSupreme 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 anythingthat exists or happens in the world-of-plurality. As the world is nothing but amisapprehension of Reality, the realm-of matter & its activities cannotcontaminate & soil the Perfect, Eternal Self.

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 theConsciousness, the Eternal Principle-of-Life, with reference to the world-of-matter. Just as theone sun illumines the entire world from afar & at all times, so too the Consciousness merelyillumines 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 bythe presence of the Sun. Similarly, Consciousness is of the nature of awareness & in Itspresence, everything becomes known.The one Sun illumines everything, good & bad, virtuous & the vicious, & yet it is not sullied bythe ugly, vicious or bad, nor blessed by the good & virtuous. Similarly, the Ever-Perfect & JoyousConsciousness functions through our matter equipment & illumines them, but It never getscontaminated by the sins of the mind. It only illumines.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

CONCLUSION13.35 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’, goto the Supreme.Lord Krishna concludes this chapter by saying that man’s life is fulfilled only when he, in hissubtle discrimination, successfully meditates upon & realises the constitution, behaviour &relationship among the ‘Field’, the ‘Knower-of-the-Field’, & the ‘Supreme Self’ in himself. Thiscan 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 realexistence. To realise the non-existence of the very material-cause is to live the Infinite Nature ofthe Supreme Self in ourselves, as ourselves.

END OF CHAPTER 13.