Gita 13.19
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि | विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ||१९||
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api | vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān ||19||
In essence: Both matter and consciousness are eternal; all modifications and qualities arise from nature alone.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "If both prakriti and purusha are beginningless, then bondage has no beginning either. How can something eternal be transcended?"
Guru: "The association between purusha and prakriti is beginningless, but the identification of purusha with prakriti is not inherent—it is born of ignorance. Ignorance too is beginningless, but it can end. The sunrise has no 'beginning' in the sense that the sun always exists, yet darkness ends each morning. Similarly, when knowledge arises, the apparent bondage dissolves, even though it had no starting point."
Sadhak: "But if all modifications come from prakriti, including the mind, then isn't the 'knowledge' that liberates also just another modification?"
Guru: "Excellent question. The knowledge that arises in the mind is indeed a modification of prakriti—a sattvic vritti. But this particular modification has a unique property: it points beyond itself. It is like a lamp that illuminates the room and in doing so reveals that you were never in darkness, only dreaming of it. The knowledge-modification ends by revealing that which needs no modification to exist: the ever-present witness."
Sadhak: "So I should see every thought and feeling as prakriti, not me?"
Guru: "Precisely. Every movement you observe—in body, mind, or world—is vikāra, transformation of nature. You are the one observing. This is not passive resignation; it is the most radical act of discernment. You stop fighting with modifications and start recognizing your freedom from them."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Beginningless awareness meditation: Before rising, rest in the awareness that you—as consciousness—have always existed. Not this body, not this personality, but the simple fact of knowing. Let this begininglessness remove the urgency of becoming something. You are. You always were. Now, from this ground, meet the day.
Modification recognition: When strong emotions or thoughts arise, practice immediate recognition: 'This is a modification of prakriti.' Anxiety is a vikāra. Excitement is a vikāra. Even clarity is prakriti's sattvic modification. You are the one noticing. This simple recognition creates space between you and the experience, reducing reactivity.
Guna inventory: Review the day through the lens of gunas. Where did tamas dominate (lethargy, avoidance)? Where did rajas drive (compulsion, hurry)? Where did sattva shine (clarity, peace)? Don't judge—all are prakriti. Simply observe how nature's qualities moved through the body-mind today. This witnessing stance is the purusha's natural position.