Bhagavatgita a detailed studychapter13 The field and the knower

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3. thath kshethram yath cha yaadhrk cha yadhvikaari

 

yathaScha

yath

 

Sa cha yo

mathprabhaavaScha thatha samaasename SrNu

 

That which is the field , its nature, its

modifications, its evolution and the origin, the powers of Me, who is the

knower of all fields, all this, you hear from Me in brief.

 

 

4. rhsibhih bahuDhaa geethamChandhobhiH viviDhaiH

prThak

 

brahmasuthrapadhaiH chaiva hethumadhbhiH viniSchithaiH

 

This subject has been sung

by the rshis in various ways, in many metrical and prosodic manner, which is

reiterated by Brahamasuthras through reasoning and conviction.

 

The kshethra the nature

and modifications of which are being detailed in the forthcoming slokas are

referred to here as that being expounded already by the sages in the Vedas,

upanishats and Brahmasuthras. The latter is the treatise on the purport of the

Upannishats.

 

5. mahaabhoothaani ahamkaaro budDhiH avyaktham eva

cha

 

indhriyaaNi

dhasaikam cha panchacha indhriya gocharaaH

 

The five gross elements,

ahankara, budDhi and the unmanifest prakrthi, the ten indhriyas plus one

(including manas) and five sense objects,

 

6.icChaadhveshaH sukham duhkhamsanghaathaH

chethanaa

DhrthiH

 

Ethath

kshethram samaasenasavikaaram udhaahrtham

 

Desire, hatred, pleasure

and pain, the aggregate, intelligence and

fortitude , all these comprise of the field and its modifications.

 

The

kshethra comprises of,

1.

avyaktha -The unmanifest, that is,

Prakrthi,

the premordial element.

2.

buddhi- also known as mahath thathva, the evolute of Prakrthi

3.ahamkaara-

the evolute of buddhi, and is of three kinds, Satthvik,

rajasik and thAmasik

4.

mahaabhoothaani- evolutes of

thAmasa ahamkAra, the five subtle elements, panchathanmathras giving rise to

the five gross elements, panchabhoothas.

5.

indhriyANi-dhaSa +Ekam-the ten

sense and motor organs + mind are the

evolutes of sAttvik ahamkAra

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

 

The classification given above is based on the

sankhya system of philosophy 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 doctrines 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.

 

Prakrthi – (unmanifest) constituent of three gunas.

|

Mahath or budDhi

 

|

Ahankara

 

 

|

 

Saathvik raajasik thaamasik

| ( only activates

others) |

Five jnanendhriyas Five

thanmathras

(sound,touch,sight,taste

and

smell)

|

|

Senses

of sight,hearing,touch,

Smell

and taste (Sukshma indhriyas) Five gross elements

 

Five karmendhriyas

Senses

of motion,action,talk,

excretion

and procreation

manas

 

The whole gross universe is the combination of

these. 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.

 

icCha, dhvesha, sukha and duhkha are the experience

of the mind through the sens organs. Sanghaatha means the aggregate of the

elements forming the physical body which is the bhogaayathanam, the abode of

experience. Chethana is the sentience which causes the feelings of sukha duhkha

etc. and denotes intelligence. Dhrthi is the conviction which is also the modification of the mind and intellect. All

are the products of the ahankara and hence the evolutes of prakrthi.