Panhajanyam hrsheekesaH-chapter17adhyaya13

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Bhagavatgita-Part III-Adhyayas13 to 18

 

Chapter17-The field and the knower-Adhyaya13

 

If the Gita is divided into three parts of six adhyayas each, the first thrika, consisting of adhayayas 1 to 6 deal with the nature of the Self, Brahman synonymous with Narayana of the Visishtadvaita and the means of attaining it through jnanayoga and karmayoga.The second thrika , adhyayas 7to12 outlines the path of bhakthi yoga.through the knowledge of the nature of the Lord, the supreme Self and the inner Self of all. Now in the last part we find a detailed expositon of these topics propounded in the first two parts.

 

In this adhyaya titled kshethrakhethrajna yoga, the differentiation of the known and the knower is explained.The topics dealt with are,

1.dhEhAthmanaH svaroopam - The nature of body and the self

2.dhehayATHAthmya SOdhanam- enquiry into the real nature of the physical body.

3.dhEhaviyukthAthmaprApthyupAyaH - The means of attaining the Self after leaving the body

4.viviktha Athmasvroopa samSodhanam- The nature of the Self in the disembodied state.

5. thaTHA vidhasya AthmanH achit sambandhahEthuH- Explanation of how and why does the Self become associated with the body.

6.viviktha anusandhAnaprakAraH -The mode of discriminating between the body and the self.

 

 

The discourse in this adhyaya starts with the words of Krishna,

idham Sareeram kounthEya kshEthram ithyabhidheeyatnE

EthadhyO vEtthi tham prAhuH kshEthrajnO ithi thadvidhaH (BG.13.1)

 

The physical body is called the field, kshEthra and He who knows it, meaning the Self, is called the knower, kshEthrajna., by those who know the real nature of the Self.

All that is known including the physical body, mind and intellect are the kshethra , field of experience because all these become the object of knowledge as in "this is my body, my mind is upset, my intellect is not functioning "etc. Apart from this, all the world experienced by the senses and the mind also is the kshethra. This naturally leads to the conclusion that there must be a knower who knows all this, and that is the Self, kshethrajna.

 

The individual self, however is the knower in that particular embodiment through which he field of experiemce is known and when the soul is separated from the body the experience of the world does not exist anymore. But there is an eternal knower, says Krishna in the next sloka.

 

kshEthrajnam chApi mAm viddhi sarvakshEthrEshu bhAratha

kshEthrakshEthrajanyorjnAnam yath thath jnAnam matham mama

 

The Lord says that he is the knower of all the fields and the true knowledge consists of that about the field and the knower.

The Lord is the knower in all the fields being the inner self of all. Those who know this are the real knowers and this is the real knowledge.

 

In BrhadhAraNyaka Upanishad it is said,'yah Athmani thishTan AthmanaH antharaH yam AthmA na vEdha yasya AthmA Sareeram yah AthmAnam antharO yamayathi sa tha AthmA antharyAmyamrthaH' (Brhd.3-7-22)

' He who dwells in the individual self as its inner self,whom the individual self does not know,to whom the individual self is the body,who controls the individual self from within, He is your inner controller and immortal Self.' Hence the real and ultimate knower is the Lord or Brahman. From the advaita point of view also the real self is Brahman, and hence there is no discrepancy. In the Gita itself it is said earlier 'ahamAthmA gudakesa sarvabhoothASayasThithaH. I am the Self of all beings ,'(BG.10.20), 'nathadhasthi vinA yathsyAth mayAbhootham charAcharam, nothing that moves and does not move, exist without me.'(BG.10-39)

 

Then Krishna starts describing the field, kshethra and the individual self, kshethrajna in detail.The distinction between the body and the self has been laid out in the scriptures by vedic hymns and Brahmasuthras through reasoning and reiterated by the sages, says Krishna to make it clear that this was not something of his concoction.

 

The kshethra, prakrthi and its evolutes

 

'mahAbhoothanyahamkAro buddhiravyakthamEva cha;

indhriyANi dhasaikam cha panch chEndhriyagocharAh.'(BG.13.5)

The kshethra comprises of,

1. avyaktha -The unmanifest, Prakrthi, the premordial element.

2. buddhi- also known as Mahath thathva, the evolute of Prakrthi

3.ahamkAra- the evolute of buddhi, and of three kinds, Satthvik, rajasik and thAmasik

4. mahAbhoothAni- evolutes of thAmasa ahamkAra, the five subtle elements, panchathanmathras giving rise to the five gross elelments, panchabhoothas.

5. indhriyANi-dhaSa +Ekam-the ten sense and motor organs + mind are the evolutes of sAttvik ahamkAra

6.indhriyagochrAH-pancha-the five sense objects., sound,touch,form, taste and smell.

 

The classification given above is based on the sankhya system of philosphy according to which there are two reals, Prakrthi, the insentient matter and Purusha, the sentient soul.The kshethra described here is the Prakrthi which is the evolvent of all and the evolution of the world is given to be as above.

 

Saankhya philosophy holds a prominent place in the Indian philosophical system as all the other schools are found to either refute or agree with its concepts. Sankara says that he finds it necessary to refute saankhya doctrins specially because it is akin to vedanta in some respects but differs from the main concept of vedanta, namely ,the causality of Brahman.But the thathvas of sankhya are accepted by all.

The evolutes of Prkrthi

Prakrthi

|

Mahath ( Buddhi )

|

Ahamkaara

-----------------------------

| | |

Saatvik Rajasic Thamasic

| only activates the others |

Five jnanendhriyas(sensorial organs) Five subtle elements

ear, skin, eye tongue and nose ( Thanmathras)

Five karmendhriyas(motor organs) |

organ of speech,hands, feet and organs of

Fivegross elements

excretion and reproduction ( pancha bhoothas)

Mind

Totalling to 11 Totalling to 10

Prakrthi is basically made up of three gunas, sattva, rajas and thamas and everything else that is described as kshethra are the modifications of the three gunas. Even the emotions such as desire, hatred, pleasure and pain usually attributed to the self are only modifications of prakrthi arising from the association of the self with prakrthi. This in brief, says Krishna is the kshethra and its modifications.

 

Next the third topic , namely the means for the attainment of Self is discussed.