Kshetram and kshetrajna

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

The thirteenth chapter begins with these two technical terms which

are important for the understanding of what follows in the rest of

the Gita.

 

`Kshetram' meaning `field' is this body *idam sharIraM* says the

Lord. Later in #s 5 and 6 (#s6 & 7 in some rescensions) He elaborates

this definition by saying what all constitute this kshetram and what

its deformations are. Thus the five elemental states of matter, the

ten senses, the mind, intelligence and ego, and the five objects of

the senses all constitute the kshetram. The deformations are liking

and disliking, pleasure and pain, the machine-like unification of the

body with the senses, the `consciousness' of the senses and finally

the persistence with which the body and senses stay together. All

this together constitute the kshetram.

 

By going back to the definition of the Lower PrakRti (aparA-prakRti)

in the 7th chapter, we can recognise that everything that has been

included in kshetram is part of this (Lower) PrakRti.

 

Now comes *kshetrajna*, the `knower of the Field'. kshetram is the

Object, kshetrajna is the Subject. kshetram is PrakRti, kshetrajna

is the Purushha.

 

But there are two Purushhas – one `perishable' and the

other `imperishable' -- says the Lord in Ch.15 shloka 16: kshara-

purushha and akshara-purushha. So which of these purushhas is

kshetrajna?

 

But before we answer this question it is necessary to warn ourselves

against a universal slip-up (almost an `abuse of language') that

almost all of us fall into. I am referring to Vedantic declarations

by the Lord such as : *I am this universe. I am everything that you

see or hear or feel. I am You too*. Here in this use of language

*am* has two connotations.

 

One is that of identity: a mathematical equivalence. " I =

Universe " , " I = everything " , " I = You " . The other connotation is " I

manifest as the universe, I manifest as everything, I manifest as

You " .

 

When the Lord says *kshetrajnaM cApi mAM viddhi* (XIII – 2 (or 3))

( " Understand Me as the kshetrajna " ), He means it in both of the above

connotations. See the explanation below.

 

The JIva, which is nothing but a spark of the ParA-prakRti (VII-5),

very often wrongly identifies itself with the BMI and that is when

it gets the name of the Kshara-purushha (kshara = perishable). On

the other hand if it withdraws itself from this false identification

and identifies itself with the Inner Reality that is the Atman

within, then it gets the name of akshara-purushha (akshara =

imperishable).

 

So when the JIva is in the mode of kshara-purushha, the Lord's

statement of *kshetrajnam cApi mAm viddhi* would to the

connotation " I am the one who manifests as the kshara-purushha; in

that sense kshetrajna is the purushha that you think you are " .

 

When the JIva is in the mode of Akshara-purushha, the Lord's

statement of kshetrajnam cApi mAm viddhi* would to the

connotation of kshetrajna being identical with the akshara-purushha.

But even then, the Ishvaratvam (all-knowing almightiness) that is

peculiarly the Lord's would not be the characteristic of the akshara-

purushha.

 

Shankaracharya spends considerable time in his commentary on this

shloka to establish that this kshetrajna being Ishvara has no

involvement in the samsAritva (being subject to all the `experiences'

of the JIva). We can also understand it this way: When the JIva is

in the mode of kshara-purushha, that very mode itself is fictitious

and so the kshetrajna – Ishvara has no taint of the mAyic experiences

of the Jiva (kshara-purushha). When the JIva is the mode of akshara-

purushha, JIva himself has no `experiences' which all belong only to

the mAyic goings-on of the kshara-purushha. And so there is no

question of the kshetrajna having any `samsAritva'.

 

Earlier in #42888 I wrote: The presence of the Supreme Lord can be

realized just as the sun isrealized first as a reflection on water,

and again as a second reflection on the wall of a room, although the

sun itself is situated in the sky. The self-realized soul is thus

reflected first in the

threefold ego and then in the body, senses and mind. Imagine a room

in which there is a large vessel of water that receives direct

sunlight and reflects it onto the opposite wall in the room. What is

the source of this light on the wall? It is the reflected Sun in the

water (contained in the

vessel). And what is the source of that reflected Sun? The actual

Sun in the blazing sky. So also we individuals seem to be having

awareness of the outside world. The source of our awareness is our

consciousness within. This is the kshetrajna. But this consciousness

itself is a reflection of the real supreme Consciousness, the

reflection being in our own ego-mind.

 

Mohan-ji in #42901 asks: When you say 'real supreme Consciousness',

are you referring to Brahman? The answer is `Yes'. And Mohan

continues: when you speak of 'our consciousness within This is the

kshetrajna', are you referring to Jivatma at the individual level and

Iswara at the macrocosm level? Yes.

 

There have been questions from others about why this kshetrajna is

not aware (so it seems) of thoughts and knowledge of other

kshetrajnas of the other kshetras. Sada-ji has answered this question

elaborately. I shall not add to it. But in an elementary way one can

understand it from the `reflected sun ` analogy that we pulled out

from the Bhagavatam. The one Sun in the sky is `aware' of all the

reflected suns in the different pools but each such reflected sun is

not `aware' of the other reflected suns in the other pools!

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " jannagraj " <jannagraj wrote:

>

> Dear Profvk ji and Br. Pranipata Chaitanyaji:

> Humble pranams.

where would the apara prakriti and para prikriti be situated in

relation to kshara purusha and akshara purusha? Since Purusha is

considered to be superior to Prakriti, Kindly clarify.

>

> Regards.

> Jan Nagraj

>

 

Hari Om Shri Jan Nagrajji, Pranaams!

 

PuruSha the Self/Atman/Brahman is different from prakrti. Hence there

is no kSharapurusha.

 

But shruti in texts like 'tasmat va etasmat atmanaH ..... annAt

puruShaH' (Tai Up 2.1.1) and smriti BG 15.16 refered in the post

refers to the perceived body as puruSha though it is matter.

 

In vedanta we call this shAkha-chandra nyAya - analogy of the moon on

the bough. Pointing to the moon as if in the branch of the tree.

 

Perceived physical body when refered to as kShara/akSharapuruSha, it

refers to the AkAra - physical form and not yogyata - fit to be

called owing to its sacchidAnanda svarUpa.

 

In Shri Guru Smriti,

Br. Pranipata Chaitanya

[Guest guest]

Dear Br. Pranipatachaitanyaji:

Humble pranams. Thank you for your kind reply. Regards. Jan Nagraj

 

advaitin , " pranipatachaitanya "

<pranipatachaitanya wrote:

 

PuruSha the Self/Atman/Brahman is different from prakrti. Hence there

is no kSharapurusha.

 

Perceived physical body when refered to as kShara/akSharapuruSha, it

refers to the AkAra - physical form and not yogyata - fit to be

called owing to its sacchidAnanda svarUpa.

 

In Shri Guru Smriti,

Br. Pranipata Chaitanya