Gita 13.1
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
अर्जुन उवाच | प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च | एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव ||१||
arjuna uvāca | prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca | etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava ||1||
In essence: Arjuna asks the fundamental questions: What is matter and spirit? What is the field and who knows it? What is knowledge and what should be known?
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Guru ji, why does Arjuna suddenly ask such abstract philosophical questions? He was just learning about devotion."
Guru: "A good student's questions evolve. First Arjuna asked 'What should I do?' Now he asks 'What IS?' Devotion naturally leads to inquiry. When you love something, don't you want to understand it completely?"
Sadhak: "But these terms—Prakriti, Purusha, Kshetra—they seem like complex philosophy. Is this practical?"
Guru: "Nothing is more practical. You suffer because you confuse the field with the knower of the field. You think you ARE your body, your thoughts, your emotions. This confusion is the root of all misery."
Sadhak: "So the body is the field, and I am... what? The farmer?"
Guru: "Closer. You are the one who witnesses everything that happens in this field. The crops grow—thoughts arise. The seasons change—emotions fluctuate. But you, the witness, remain unchanged. When you know this, you are free."
Sadhak: "If I'm just the witness, why do I feel so involved in everything?"
Guru: "Ah, that's why Arjuna asks about Jnana—knowledge—and Jneya—what should be known. Right knowledge dissolves wrong identification. You feel involved because you don't yet KNOW what you truly are. That's what this chapter will reveal."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Upon waking, before moving, ask: 'Who is aware of waking up?' Notice that awareness itself never slept—only the body and mind did. Start the day identified as the witness.
When strong emotions arise, pause and inquire: 'Is this emotion me, or something appearing in me?' Practice being the knower rather than the known.
Review the day as a witness. Observe: 'This happened in the field today.' Don't judge—simply recognize you are the aware space in which the day's events unfolded.