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Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness
13.1-2
arjuna uvaca
prakrtim purusam caiva
ksetram ksetra-jnam eva ca
etad veditum icchami
jnanam jneyam ca kesava
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam sariram kaunteya
ksetram ity abhidhiyate
etad yo vetti tam prahuh
ksetra-jna iti tad-vidah
arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; prakrtim--nature; purusam--the enjoyer; ca--also; eva--certainly; ksetram--body; ksetrajnam--knower of the body; eva--certainly; ca--also; etat--all this; veditum--to understand; icchami--I wish; jnanam--knowledge; jneyam--the object of knowledge; ca--also; kesava--O Krsna; sri bhagavan uvaca--the Personality of Godhead said; idam--this; sariram--body; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; ksetram--the field; iti--thus; abhidhiyate--is called; etat--this; yah--anyone; vetti--knows; tam--him; prahuh--is called; ksetrajnah--knower of the body; iti--thus; tat-vidah--one who knows.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O my dear Krsna, I wish to know about prakrti [nature], Purusa [the enjoyer], and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge.
The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.
PURPORT
Arjuna was inquisitive about prakrti or nature, purusa, the enjoyer, ksetra, the field, ksetrajna, its knower, and of knowledge and the object of knowledge.
When he inquired about all these, Krsna said that this body is called the field and that one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.
This body is the field of activity for the conditioned soul.
The conditioned soul is entrapped in material existence, and he attempts to lord over material nature.
And so, according to his capacity to dominate material nature, he gets a field of activity.
That field of activity is the body.
And what is the body? The body is made of senses.
The conditioned soul wants to enjoy sense gratification, and, according to his capacity to enjoy sense gratification, he is offered a body, or field of activity.
Therefore the body is called ksetra, or the field of activity for the conditioned soul.
Now, the person who does not identify himself with the body is called ksetrajna, the knower of the field.
It is not very difficult to understand the difference between the field and its knower, the body and the knower of the body.
Any person can consider that from childhood to old age he undergoes so many changes of body and yet is still one person, remaining.
Thus there is a difference between the knower of the field of activities and the actual field of activities.
A living conditioned soul can thus understand that he is different from the body.
It is described in the beginning--dehe 'smin--that the living entity is within the body and that the body is changing from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth and from youth to old age, and the person who owns the body knows that the body is changing.
The owner is distinctly ksetrajna.
Sometimes we understand that I am happy, I am mad, I am a woman, I am a dog, I am a cat: these are the knowers.
The knower is different from the field.
Although we use many articles--our clothes, etc.--we know- that we are different from the things used.
Similarly, we also understand by a little contemplation that we are different from the body.
In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-gita, the knower of the body, the living entity, and the position by which he can understand the Supreme Lord are described.
In the middle six chapters of the Gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the relationship between the individual soul and the Supersoul in regard to devotional service are described.
The superior position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the subordinate position of the individual soul are definitely defined in these chapters.
The living entities are subordinate under all circumstances, but in their forgetfulness they are suffering.
When enlightened by pious activities, they approach the Supreme Lord in different capacities--as the distressed, those in want of money, the inquisitive, and those in search of knowledge.
That is also described.
Now, starting with the Thirteenth Chapter, how the living entity comes into contact with material nature, how he is delivered by the Supreme Lord through the different methods of fruitive activities, cultivation of knowledge, and the discharge of devotional service are explained.
Although the living entity is completely different from the material body, he somehow becomes related.
This also is explained.
13.3
ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi
sarva-ksetresu bharata
ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam
yat taj jnanam matam mama
ksetrajnam--the knower; ca--also; api--certainly; mam--Me; viddhi--know; sarva--all; ksetresu--in bodily fields; bharata--O son of Bharata; ksetra--field of activities (the body); ksetrajnayoh--the knower of the field; jnanam--knowledge; yat--that which is taught; tat--that; jnanam--knowledge; matam--opinion; mama--that.
TRANSLATION
O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge.
That is My opinion.
PURPORT
While discussing the subject of this body and the owner of the body, the soul and the Supersoul, we shall find three different topics of study: the Lord, the living entity, and matter.
In every field of activities, in every body, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul.
Because the Supersoul is the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Krsna says, "I am also the knower, but I am not the individual owner of the body.
I am the superknower.
I am present in every body as the Paramatma, or Supersoul."
One who studies the subject matter of the field of activity and the knower of the field very minutely, in terms of this Bhagavad-gita, can attain to knowledge.
The Lord says: "I am the knower of the field of activities in every individual body."
The individual may be the knower of his own body, but he is not in knowledge of other bodies.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present as the Supersoul in all bodies, knows everything about all bodies.
He knows all the different bodies of all the various species of life.
A citizen may know everything about his patch of land, but the king knows not only his palace but all the properties possessed by the individual citizens.
Similarly, one may be the proprietor of the body individually, but the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all bodies.
The king is the original proprietor of the kingdom, and the citizen is the secondary proprietor.
Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the supreme proprietor of all bodies.
The body consists of the senses.
The Supreme Lord is Hrsikesa, which means controller of the senses.
He is the original controller of the senses, just as the king is the original controller of all the activities of the state, and the citizens are secondary controllers.
The Lord also says: "I am also the knower."
This means that He is the superknower; the individual soul knows only his particular body.
In the Vedic literature, it is stated as follows:
ksetrani hi sarirani bijam capi subhasubhe tani vetti sa yogatma tatah ksetrajna ucyate.
This body is called the ksetra, and within it dwells the owner of the body and the Supreme Lord who knows both the body and the owner of the body.
Therefore He is called the knower of all fields.
The distinction between the field of activities, the owner of activities and the supreme owner of activities is described as follows.
Perfect knowledge of the constitution of the body, the constitution of the individual soul, and the constitution of the Supersoul is known in terms of Vedic literature as jnanam.
That is the opinion of Krsna.
To understand both the soul and the Supersoul as one yet distinct is knowledge.
One who does not understand the field of activity and the knower of activity is not in perfect knowledge.
One has to understand the position of prakrti, nature, and purusa, the enjoyer of the nature, and isvara, the knower who dominates or controls nature and the individual soul.
One should not confuse the three in their different capacities.
One should not confuse the painter, the painting and the easel.
This material world, which is the field of activities, is nature, and the enjoyer of nature is the living entity, and above them both is the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead.
It is stated in the Vedic language: "bhokta bhogyam preritaram ca matva sarvam proktam tri-vidham brahmam etat."
There are three Brahman conceptions: prakrti is Brahman as the field of activities, and the jiva (individual soul) is also Brahman and is trying to control material nature, and the controller of both of them is also Brahman, but He is the factual controller.
In this chapter it will be also explained that out of the two knowers, one is fallible and the other is infallible.
One is superior and the other is subordinate.
One who understands the two knowers of the field to be one and the same contradicts the Supreme Personality of Godhead who states here very clearly that "I am also the knower of the field of activity."
One who misunderstands a rope to be a serpent is not in knowledge.
There are different kinds of bodies, and there are different owners of the bodies.
Because each individual soul has his individual capacity of lording it over material nature, there are different bodies.
But the Supreme also is present in them as the controller.
The word ca is significant, for it indicates the total number of bodies.
That is the opinion of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana: Krsna is the Supersoul present in each and every body apart from the individual soul.
And Krsna explicitly says here that the Supersoul is the controller of both the field of activities and the finite enjoyer.
13.4
tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca
yad-vikari yatas ca yat
sa ca yo yat-prabhavas ca
tat samasena me srnu
tat--that; ksetram--field of activities; yat--as; ca--also; yadrk--as it is; ca--also; yat--what is; vikari--changes; yatah--from which; ca--also; yat--one; sah--he; ca--also; yah--one; yat--which; prabhavah ca--influence also; tat--that; samasena--in detail; me--from Me; srnu--understand.
TRANSLATION
Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are, whence it is produced, who that knower of the field of activities is, and what his influences are.
PURPORT
The Lord is describing the field of activities and the knower of the field of activities in their constitutional positions.
One has to know how this body is constituted, the materials of which this body is made, under whose control this body is working, how the changes are taking place, wherefrom the changes are coming, what the causes are, what the reasons are, what the ultimate goal of the individual is, and what the actual form of the individual soul is.
One should also know the distinction between the individual living soul and the Supersoul, the different influences, their potentials, etc.
One just has to understand this Bhagavad-gita directly from the description given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all this will be clarified.
But one should be careful not to consider the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every body and individual soul to be the jiva.
This is something like equalizing the potent and the impotent.
13.5
rsibhir bahudha gitam
chandobhir vividhaih prthak
brahma-sutra-padais caiva
hetumadbhir viniscitaih
rsibhih--by the wise sages; bahudha--in many ways; gitam--described; chandobhih--Vedic hymns; vividhaih--in various; prthak--variously; brahma-sutra--the Vedanta; padaih--aphorism; ca--also; eva--certainly; hetumadbhih--with cause and effect; viniscitaih--ascertain.
TRANSLATION
That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings--especially in the Vedanta-sutra--and is presented with all reasoning as to cause and effect.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the highest authority in explaining this knowledge.
Still, as a matter of course, learned scholars and standard authorities always give evidence from previous authorities.
Krsna is explaining this most controversial point regarding the duality and non-duality of the soul and the Supersoul by referring to Scriptures, the Vedanta, which are accepted as authority.
First, He says, this is according to different sages.
As far as the sages are concerned, besides Himself, Vyasadeva, the author of the Vedanta-sutra, is a great sage, and in the Vedanta-sutra duality is perfectly explained.
And Vyasadeva's father, Parasara, was also a great sage, and he writes in his books of religiosity: "aham tvam ca athanye..." "We--you, I and various other living entities--are all transcendental, although in material bodies.
Now we are fallen into the ways of the three modes of material nature according to our different karma.
As such, some are on higher levels, and some are in the lower nature.
The higher and lower natures exist due to ignorance and are being manifested in an infinite number of living entities.
But the Supersoul, which is infallible, is uncontaminated by the three qualities of nature and is transcendental."
Similarly, in the original Vedas, a distinction between the soul, the Supersoul and the body is made, especially in the Katha Upanisad.
There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord's energy known as annamaya by which one depends simply upon food for existence.
This is a materialistic realization of the Supreme.
Then there is pranamaya; this means that after realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in foodstuff, one can realize the Absolute Truth in the living symptoms, or life forms.
In jnanamaya the living symptom develops to the point of thinking, feeling, and willing.
Then there is Brahman realization and the realization called vijnanamaya by which the living entity's mind and life symptoms are distinguished from the living entity himself.
The next and supreme stage is anandamaya, realization of the all-blissful nature.
Thus there are five stages of Brahman realization, which is called brahma puccham.
Out of these the first three--annamaya, pranamaya, and jnanamaya--involve the fields of activities of the living entities.
Transcendental to all these fields of activities is the Supreme Lord, who is called anandamaya.
In the Vedanta-sutra also the Supreme is called anandamayo 'bhyasat.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature full of joy, and to enjoy His transcendental bliss, He expands into vijnanamaya, pranamaya, jnanamaya, and annamaya.
In this field of activities the living entity is considered to be the enjoyer, and different from him is the anandamaya.
That means that if the living entity decides to enjoy, in dovetailing himself with the anandamaya, then he becomes perfect.
This is the real picture of the Supreme Lord, as supreme knower of the field, the living entity, as subordinate knower, and the nature of the field of activities.
13.6-7
maha-bhutany ahankaro
buddhir avyaktam eva ca
indriyani dasaikam ca
panca cendriya-gocarah
iccha dvesah sukham duhkham
sanghatas cetana dhrtih
etat ksetram samasena
sa-vikaram udahrtam
maha-bhutani--great elements; ahankarah--false ego; buddhih--intelligence; avyaktam--the unmanifested; eva--certainly; ca--also; indriyani--senses ; dasa ekam--eleven; ca--also; panca--five; ca--also; indriya-gocarah--objects of the senses; iccha--desire; dvesah--hatred; sukham--happiness; duhkham--distress; sanghatah--the aggregate; cetana--living symptoms; dhrtih--conviction; etat--all this; ksetram--field of activities; samasena--in summary; sa-vikaram--interaction; udahrtam--exemplified.
TRANSLATION
The five great elements, false ego, intelligence, the unmanifested, the ten senses, the mind, the five sense objects, desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate, the life symptoms, and convictions--all these are considered, in summary, to be the field of activities and its interactions.
PURPORT
From all the authoritative statements of the great sages, the Vedic hymns and the aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra, the components of this world are earth, water, fire, air and ether.
These are the five great elements (mahabhuta).
Then there are false ego, intelligence and the unmanifested stage of the three modes of nature.
Then there are five senses for acquiring knowledge: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch.
Then five working senses: voice, legs, hands, the anus and the genitals.
Then, above the senses, there is the mind, which is within and which can be called the sense within.
Therefore, including the mind, there are eleven senses altogether.
Then there are the five objects of the senses: smell, taste, warmth, touch and sound.
Now the aggregate of these twenty-four elements is called the field of activity.
If one makes an analytical study of these twenty-four subjects, then he can very well understand the field of activity.
Then there is desire, hatred, pleasure and pain, which are interactions, representations of the five great elements in the gross body.
The living symptoms, represented by consciousness and conviction, are the manifestation of the subtle body--mind, ego and intelligence.
These subtle elements are included within the field of activities.
The five great elements are a gross representation of the subtle false ego.
They are a representation in the material conception.
Consciousness is represented by intelligence, of which the unmanifested stage is the three modes of material nature.
The unmanifested three modes of material nature is called pradhana.
One who desires to know the twenty-four elements in detail along with their interactions should study the philosophy in more detail.
In Bhagavad-gita, a summary only is given.
The body is the representation of all these factors, and there are changes of the body, which are six in number: the body is born, it grows, it stays, it produces by-products, then begins to decay, and at the last stage it vanishes.
Therefore the field is a nonpermanent material thing.
However, the ksetrajna, the knower of the field, its proprietor, is different.
13.8-12
amanitvam adambhitvam
ahimsa ksantir arjavam
acaryopasanam saucam
sthairyam atma-vinigrahah
indriyarthesu vairagyam
anahankara eva ca
janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-
duhkha-dosanudarsanam
asaktir anabhisvangah
putra-dara-grhadisu
nityam ca sama-cittatvam
istanistopapattisu
mayi cananya-yogena
bhaktir avyabhicarini
vivikta-desa-sevitvam
aratir jana-samsadi
adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam
tattva-jnanartha-darsanam
etaj jnanam iti proktam
ajnanam yad ato 'nyatha
amanitvam--humility; adambhitvam--pridelessness; ahimsa--nonviolence; ksantih--tolerance; arjavam--simplicity; acarya-upasanam--approaching a bona fide spiritual master; saucam--cleanliness; sthairyam--steadfastness; atma-vinigrahah--control; indriya-arthesu--in the matter of the senses; vairagyam--renunciation; anahankarah--being without false egoism; eva--certainly; ca--also; janma--birth; mrtyu--death; jara--old age; vyadhi--disease; duhkha--distress; dosa--fault; anudarsanam--observing; asaktih--without attachment; anabhisvangah--without association; putra--son; dara--wife; grha-adisu--home, etc.; nityam; ca--also; sama-cittatvam--equilibrium; ista--desirable; anistah--undesirable; upapattisu--having obtained; mayi--unto Me; ca--also; ananya-yogena--by devotional service; bhaktih--devotion; avyabhicarini--constant, unalloyed; vivikta--solitary; desa--place; sevitvam--aspiring; aratih--without attachment; jana--people in general; samsadi--mass; adhyatma--pertaining to the self; jnana--knowledge; nityatvam--eternity; tattva-jnana--knowledge of the truth; artha--the object; darsanam--philosophy; etat--all this; jnanam--knowledge; iti--thus; proktam--declared; ajnanam--ignorance; yat--that which; atah--from this; anyatha--others.
TRANSLATION
Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth--all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.
PURPORT
This process of knowledge is sometimes misunderstood by less intelligent men as being the interaction of the field of activity.
But actually this is the real process of knowledge.
If one accepts this process, then the possibility of approaching the Absolute Truth exists.
This is not the interaction of the tenfold elements, as described before, This is actually the means to get out of it.
Of all the descriptions of the process of knowledge, the most important point is described in the first line of the tenth verse: The process of knowledge terminates in unalloyed devotional service to the Lord.
So, if one does not approach, or is not able to approach, the transcendental service of the Lord, then the other nineteen items are of no particular value.
But, if one takes to devotional service in full Krsna consciousness, the other nineteen items automatically develop within him.
The principle of accepting a spiritual master, as mentioned in the seventh verse, is essential.
Even for one who takes to devotional service, it is most important.
Transcendental life begins when one accepts a bona fide spiritual master.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, clearly states here that this process of knowledge is the actual path.
Anything speculated beyond this is nonsense.
As for the knowledge outlined here, the items may be analyzed as follows: Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others.
The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge--who knows that he is not this body--anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this body is useless.
One should not be hankering after this material deception.
People are very anxious to be famous for their religion, and consequently sometimes it is found that without understanding the principles of religion, one enters into some group, which is not actually following religious principles, and then wants to advertise himself as a religious mentor.
As for actual advancement in spiritual science, one should have a test to see how far he is progressing.
He can judge by these items.
Nonviolence is generally taken to mean not killing or destroying the body, but actually nonviolence means not to put others into distress.
People in general are trapped by ignorance in the material concept of life, and they perpetually suffer material pains.
So, unless one elevates people to spiritual knowledge, one is practicing violence.
One should try his best to distribute real knowledge to the people, so that they may become enlightened and leave this material entanglement.
That is nonviolence.
Tolerance means that one should be practiced to bear insult and dishonor from others.
If one is engaged in the advancement of spiritual knowledge, there will be so many insults and much dishonor from others.
This is expected because material nature is so constituted.
Even a boy like Prahlada, who, only five years old, was engaged in the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, was endangered when his father became antagonistic to his devotion.
The father tried to kill him in so many ways, but Prahlada tolerated him.
So, for making advancement in spiritual knowledge, there may be many impediments, but we should be tolerant and continue our progress with determination.
Simplicity means that without diplomacy one should be so straightforward that he can disclose the real truth even to an enemy.
As for acceptance of the spiritual master, that is essential, because without the instruction of a bona fide spiritual master, one cannot progress in the spiritual science.
One should approach the spiritual master with all humility and offer him all services so that he will be pleased to bestow his blessings upon the disciple.
Because a bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Krsna, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple's following the regulated principles.
Or, the regulated principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation.
Cleanliness is essential for making advancement in spiritual life.
There are two kinds of cleanliness: external and internal.
External cleanliness means taking a bath, but for internal cleanliness, one has to think of Krsna always and chant, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
This process cleans the accumulated dust of past karma from the mind.
Steadiness means that one should be very determined to make progress in spiritual life.
Without such determination, one cannot make tangible progress.
And self-control means that one should not accept anything which is detrimental to the path of spiritual progress.
One should become accustomed to this and reject anything which is against the path of spiritual progress.
This is real renunciation.
The senses are so strong that they are always anxious to have sense gratification.
One should not cater to these demands, which are not necessary.
The senses should only be gratified to keep the body fit so that one can discharge his duty in advancing in spiritual life.
The most important and uncontrollable sense is the tongue.
If one can control the tongue, then there is every possibility of controlling the other senses.
The function of the tongue is to taste and to vibrate.
Therefore, by systematic regulation, the tongue should always be engaged in tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna.
As far as the eyes are concerned, they should not be allowed to see anything but the beautiful form of Krsna.
That will control the eyes.
Similarly, the ears should be engaged in hearing about Krsna and the nose in smelling the flowers offered to Krsna.
This is the process of devotional service, and it is understood here that Bhagavad-gita is simply expounding the science of devotional service.
Devotional service is the main and sole objective.
Unintelligent commentators on the Gita try to divert the mind of the reader to other subjects, but there is no other subject in Bhagavad-gita but devotional service.
False ego means accepting this body as oneself.
When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, that is real ego.
Ego is there.
False ego is condemned, but not real ego.
In the Vedic literature, it is said: aham brahmasmi.
I am Brahman, I am spirit.
This "I am," the sense of self, also exists in the liberated stage of self-realization.
This sense of "I am" is ego, but when the sense of "I am" is applied to this false body, it is false ego.
When the sense of self is applied to reality, that is real ego.
There are some philosophers who say we should give up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego because ego means identity.
We ought, of course, to give up the false identification with the body.
One should try to understand the distress of accepting birth, death, old age and disease.
There are descriptions in various Vedic literatures of birth.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the world of the unborn, the child's stay in the womb of the mother, its suffering, etc., are all very graphically described.
It should be thoroughly understood that birth is distressful.
Because we forget how much distress we have suffered within the womb of the mother, we do not make any solution to the repetition of birth and death.
Similarly at the time of death, there are all kinds of sufferings, and they are also mentioned in the authoritative scriptures.
These should be discussed.
And as far as disease and old age are concerned, everyone gets practical experience.
No one wants to be diseased, and no one wants to become old, but there is no avoiding these.
Unless we have a pessimistic view of this material life, considering the distresses of birth, death, old age and disease, there is no impetus for our making advancement in spiritual life.
As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these.
They are natural objects of affection, but when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them.
The best process for making the home pleasant is Krsna consciousness.
If one is in full Krsna consciousness, he can make his home very happy because this process of Krsna consciousness is very easy.
One need only chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krsna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship.
These four will make one happy.
One should train the members of his family in this way.
The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Krsna consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life.
But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned.
One must sacrifice everything to realize or serve Krsna, just as Arjuna did.
Arjuna did not want to kill his family members, but when he understood that these family members were impediments to his Krsna realization, he accepted the instruction of Krsna and fought and killed them.
In all cases, one should be detached from the happiness and distress of family life because in this world one can never be fully happy or fully miserable.
Happiness and distress are concommitant factors of material life.
One should learn to tolerate, as advised in Bhagavad-gita.
One can never restrict the coming and going of happiness and distress, so one should be detached from the materialistic way of life and be automatically equiposed in both cases.
Generally, when we get something desirable, we are very happy, and when we get something undesirable, we are distressed.
But if we are actually in the spiritual position, these things will not agitate us.
To reach that stage, we have to practice unbreakable devotional service; devotional service to Krsna without deviation means engaging oneself in the nine processes of devotional service, chanting, hearing, worshiping, offering respect, etc., as described in the last verse of the Ninth Chapter.
That process should be followed.
Naturally, when one is adapted to the spiritual way of life, he will not want to mix with materialistic men.
That would go against his grain.
One may test himself by seeing how far he is inclined to live in a solitary place without unwanted association.
Naturally a devotee has no taste for unnecessary sporting or cinema-going or enjoying some social function, because he understands that these are simply a waste of time.
There are many research scholars and philosophers who study sex life or some other subject, but according to Bhagavad-gita, such research work and philosophical speculation have no value.
That is more or less nonsensical.
According to Bhagavad-gita, one should make research by philosophical discretion into the nature of the soul.
One should make research to understand with what the self is concerned.
That is recommended here.
As far as self-realization is concerned, it is clearly stated here that bhakti-yoga is especially practical.
As soon as there is a question of devotion, one must consider the relationship between the Supersoul and the individual soul.
The individual soul and the Supersoul cannot be one, at least not in the bhakti conception, the devotional conception of life.
This service of the individual soul to the Supreme Soul is eternal, nityam, as is clearly stated.
So bhakti or devotional service is eternal.
One should be established in that philosophical conviction, otherwise it is only a waste of time, ignorance.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, this is explained; vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam.
"Those who are actually knowers of the Absolute Truth know that the Self is realized in three different phases as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan." (Bhag.1.2.11) Bhagavan is the last word in the realization of the Absolute Truth; therefore one should reach up to that platform of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
That is perfection of knowledge.
Beginning from practicing humility up to the point of realization of the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, this process is just like a staircase beginning from the ground floor up to the top floor.
Now on this staircase there are so many people who have reached the first floor, the second or third floor, etc., but unless one reaches the top floor, which is the understanding of Krsna, he is at a lower stage of knowledge.
If anyone wants to compete with God and at the same time make advancement in spiritual knowledge, he will be frustrated.
It is clearly stated that without humility understanding is harmful.
To think oneself God is most puffed up.
Although the living entity is always being kicked by the stringent laws of material nature, still he thinks, "I am God" because of ignorance.
One should be humble and know that he is subordinate to the Supreme Lord.
Due to rebellion against the Supreme Lord, one becomes subordinate to material nature.
One must know and be convinced of this truth.
13.13
jneyam yat tat pravaksyami
yaj jnatvamrtam asnute
anadi mat-param brahma
na sat tan nasad ucyate
jneyam--knowable; yat--that; tat--which; pravaksyami--I shall now explain; yat--which; jnatva--knowing; amrtam--nectar; asnute--taste; anadi--beginningless; mat-param--subordinate to Me; brahma--spirit; na--neither; sat--cause; tat--that; na--nor; asat--effect; ucyate--is called.
TRANSLATION
I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal.
This is beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me.
It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.
PURPORT
The Lord has explained the field of activities and the knower of the field.
He has also explained the process of knowing the knower of the field of activities.
Now He is explaining the knowable, both the soul and the Supersoul respectively.
By knowledge of the knower, both the soul and the Supersoul, one can relish the nectar of life.
As explained in the Second Chapter, the living entity is eternal.
This is also confirmed here.
There is no specific date at which the jiva was born.
Nor can anyone trace out the history of jivatma's manifestation from the Supreme Lord.
Therefore it is beginningless.
The Vedic literature confirms this: na jayate mrjayate va vipascit.
The knower of the body is never born and never dies, and he is full of knowledge.
The Supreme Lord is also stated in the Vedic literature as pradhana-ksetrajna-patir gunesah.
The Supreme Lord as the Supersoul is the chief knower of the body, and He is the master of the three modes of material nature.
In the smrti it is said: dasa-bhuto harer eva nanyasvaiva kadacana.
The living entities are eternally in the service of the Supreme Lord.
This is also confirmed by Lord Caitanya in His teaching; therefore the description of Brahman mentioned in this verse is in relation to the individual soul, and when the word Brahman is applied to the living entity, it is to be understood that he is vijnanam brahma as opposed to ananta-brahma.
Ananta-brahma is the Supreme Brahman Personality of Godhead.
13.14
sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato 'ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah srutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tisthati
sarvatah--everywhere; pani--hands; padam--legs; tat--that; sarvatah--everywhere; aksi--eyes; sirah--head; mukham--face; sarvatah--everywhere; srutimat--hearing; loke--in the world; sarvam--everywhere, avrtya--covering; tisthati--exists.
TRANSLATION
Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything.
In this way the Supersoul exists.
PURPORT
As the sun exists diffusing its unlimited rays, so does the Supersoul, or Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He exists in His all-pervading form, and in Him exist all the individual living entities, beginning from the first great teacher, Brahma, down to the small ants.
There are unlimited heads, legs, hands and eyes, and unlimited living entities.
All are existing in and on the Supersoul.
Therefore the Supersoul is all-pervading.
The individual soul, however, cannot say that he has his hands, legs and eyes everywhere.
That is not possible.
If he thinks that although under ignorance he is not conscious that his hands and legs are diffused all over, but when he attains to proper knowledge he will come to that stage, his thinking is contradictory.
This means that the individual soul, having become conditioned by material nature, is not supreme.
The Supreme is different from the individual soul.
The Supreme Lord can extend His hand without limit; the individual soul cannot.
In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that if anyone offers Him a flower, or a fruit, or a little water, He accepts.
If the Lord is a far distance away, how can He accept things? This is the omnipotence of the Lord: even though He is situated in His own abode, far, far away from earth, He can extend His hand to accept what anyone offers.
That is His potency.
In the Brahma-samhita it is stated, goloka eva nivasati: although He is always engaged in pastimes in His transcendental planet, He is all-pervading.
The individual soul cannot claim that he is all-pervading.
Therefore this verse describes the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead, not the individual soul.
13.15
sarvendriya-gunabhasam
sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktam sarva-bhrc caiva
nirgunam guna-bhoktr ca
sarve--all; indriya--senses; guna--qualities; abhasam--original source; sarva--all; indriya--senses; vivarjitam--being without; asaktam--without attachment; sarva-bhrt--maintainer of everyone; ca--also; eva--certainly; nirgunam--without material qualities; guna-bhoktr--simultaneously master of the gunas; ca--also.
TRANSLATION
The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses.
He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings.
He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord, although the source of all the senses of the living entities, doesn't have material senses like they have.
Actually, the individual souls have spiritual senses, but in condemned life they are covered with the material elements and therefore the sense activities are exhibited through matter.
The Supreme Lord's senses are not so covered.
His senses are transcendental and are therefore called nirguna.
Guna means the material modes, but His senses are without material covering.
It should be understood that His senses are not exactly like ours.
Although He is the source of all our sensual activities, He has His transcendental senses which are uncontaminated.
This is very nicely explained in the Svetasvatara Upanisad in the verse: sarvatah pani-padam.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no hands which are materially contaminated, but He has His hands and accepts whatever sacrifice is offered to Him.
That is the distinction between the conditioned soul and the Supersoul.
He has no material eyes, but He has eyes--otherwise how could He see? He sees everything, past, present and future.
He lives within the heart of the living being, and He knows what we have done in the past, what we are doing now, and what is awaiting us in the future.
This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: He knows everything, but no one knows Him.
It is said that the Supreme Lord has no legs like us, but He can travel throughout space because He has spiritual legs.
In other words, the Lord is not impersonal; He has His eyes, legs, hands and everything else, and because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord we also have these things.
But His hands, legs, eyes and senses are not contaminated by material nature.
Bhagavad-gita also confirms that when the Lord appears He appears as He is by His internal potency.
He is not contaminated by the material energy because He is the Lord of material energy.
In the Vedic literature we find that His whole embodiment is spiritual.
He has His eternal form called sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.
He is full of all opulence.
He is the proprietor of all wealth and the owner of all energy.
He is the most intelligent and is full of knowledge.
These are some of the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He is maintainer of all living entities and the witness of all activities.
As far as we can understand from Vedic literature, the Supreme Lord is always transcendental.
Although we do not see His head, face, hands, or legs, He has them, and when we are elevated to the transcendental situation then we can see the Lord's form.
Due to materially contaminated senses, we cannot see His form.
Therefore the impersonalists who are still materially affected cannot understand the Personality of Godhead.
13.16
bahir antas ca bhutanam
acaram caram eva ca
suksmatvat tad avijneyam
dura-stham cantike ca tat
bahih--outside; antah--inside; ca--also; bhutanam--of all living entities; acaram--not moving; caram--moving; eva--also; ca--and; suksmatvat--on account of being subtle; tat--that; avijneyam--unknowable; durastham--far away; ca antike--near also; ca--and; tat--that.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and nonmoving.
He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know.
Although far, far away, He is also near to all.
PURPORT
In Vedic literature we understand that Narayana, the Supreme Person, is residing both outside and inside of every living entity.
He is present both in the spiritual and material world.
Although He is far, far away, still He is near to us.
These are the statements of Vedic literature.
Asino duram vrajati sayano yati sarvatah.
And, because He is always engaged in transcendental bliss, we cannot understand how He is enjoying His full opulence.
We cannot see or understand with these material senses.
Therefore in the Vedic language it is said that to understand Him our material mind and senses cannot act.
But one who has purified his mind and senses by practicing Krsna consciousness in devotional service can see Him constantly.
It is confirmed in Brahma-samhita that the devotee who has developed love for the Supreme God can see Him always, without cessation.
And it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (11.54) that He can be seen and understood only by devotional service.
Bhaktya tvananyaya sakyah.
13.17
avibhaktam ca bhutesu
vibhaktam iva ca sthitam
bhuta-bhartr ca taj jneyam
grasisnu prabhavisnu ca
avibhaktam--without division; ca--also; bhutesu--in every living being; vibhaktam--divided; iva--as if; ca--also; sthitam--situated; bhuta-bhartr--maintainer of all living entities; ca--also; tat--that; jneyam--to be understood; grasisnu--devours; prabhavisnu--develops; ca--also.
TRANSLATION
Although the Supersoul appears to be divided, He is never divided.
He is situated as one.
Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.
PURPORT
The Lord is situated in everyone's heart as the Supersoul.
Does that mean that He has become divided? No.
Actually, He is one.
The example is given of the sun: the sun, at the meridian, is situated in his place.
But if one goes for five thousand miles in all directions and asks, "Where is the sun?" everyone will say that it is shining on his head.
In the Vedic literature this example is given to show that although He is undivided, He is situated as if divided.
Also it is said in Vedic literature that one Visnu is present everywhere by His omnipotence, just as the sun appears in many places to many persons.
And the Supreme Lord, although the maintainer of every living entity, devours everything at the time of annihilation.
This was confirmed in the Eleventh Chapter when the Lord said that He has come to devour all the warriors assembled at Kuruksetra.
He also mentions that in the form of time He devours also.
He is the annihilator, the killer of all.
When there is creation, He develops all from their original state, and at the time of annihilation He devours them.
The Vedic hymns confirm the fact that He is the origin of all living entities and the rest of all.
After creation, everything rests in His omnipotence, and after annihilation, everything again returns to rest in Him.
These are the confirmations of Vedic hymns.
Yato va imani bhutani jayante yena jatani jivanti yat prayanty abhisamvisanti tad brahma tad vijijnasasva. (Taittiriya Upanisad, 3.1)
13.18
jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hrdi sarvasya visthitam
jyotisam--in all luminous objects; api--also; tat--that; jyotih--source of light; tamasah--of the darkness; param--beyond; ucyate--is said; jnanam--knowledge; jneyam--to be known; jnana-gamyam--to be approached by knowledge; hrdi--in the heart; sarvasya--of everyone; visthitam--situated.
TRANSLATION
He is the source of light in all luminous objects.
He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested.
He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge.
He is situated in everyone's heart.
PURPORT
The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of light in all luminous objects like the sun, moon, stars, etc.
In the Vedic literature we find that in the spiritual kingdom there is no need of sun or moon because the effulgence of the Supreme Lord is there.
In the material world that brahmajyoti the Lord's spiritual effulgence, is covered by the mahat-tattva, the material elements; therefore in this material world we require the assistance of sun, moon, electricity, etc., for light.
But in the spiritual world there is no need of such things.
It is clearly stated in the Vedic literature that because of His luminous effulgence, everything is illuminated.
It is clear, therefore, that His situation is not in the material world.
He is situated in the spiritual world which is far, far away in the spiritual sky.
That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature.
Aditya-varnam tamasah parastat.
He is just like the sun, eternally luminous, but He is far, far beyond the darkness of this material world.
His knowledge is transcendental.
The Vedic literature confirms that Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge.
To one who is anxious to be transferred to that spiritual world, knowledge is given by the Supreme Lord who is situated in everyone's heart.
One Vedic mantra says: tam ha devam atma-buddhi-prakasam mumuksur vai saranam aham prapadye.
One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation.
As far as the goal of ultimate knowledge is concerned, it is also confirmed in Vedic literature: tam eva viditvatimrtyum eti.
"Only by knowing You can one surpass the boundary of birth and death."
He is situated in everyone's heart as the supreme controller.
The Supreme has legs and hands distributed everywhere, and this cannot be said of the individual soul.
Therefore that there are two knowers of the field of activity, the individual soul and the Supersoul, must be admitted.
One's hands and legs are distributed locally, but Krsna's hands and legs are distributed everywhere.
This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad: sarvasya prabhum isanam sarvasya saranam brhat.
That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul, is the prabhu or master of all living entities; therefore He is the ultimate center of all living entities.
So there is no denying the fact that the Supreme Supersoul and the individual soul are always different.
13.19
iti ksetram tatha jnanam
jneyam coktam samasatah
mad-bhakta etad vijnaya
mad-bhavayopapadyate
iti--thus; ksetram--field of activities (the body); tatha--also; jnanam--knowledge; jneyam--knowable; ca--also; uktam--describe; samasatah--in summary; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; etat--all this; vijnaya--after understanding; mat-bhavaya--My nature; upapadyate--attains.
TRANSLATION
Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me.
Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature.
PURPORT
The Lord has described in summary the body, knowledge and the knowable.
This knowledge is of three things: the knower, the knowable and the process of knowing.
Combined, these are called vijnanam, or the science of knowledge.
Perfect knowledge can be understood by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord directly.
Others are unable to understand.
The monists say that at the ultimate stage these three items become one, but the devotees do not accept this.
Knowledge and development of knowledge mean understanding oneself in Krsna consciousness.
We are being led by material consciousness, but as soon as we transfer all consciousness to Krsna's activities and realize that Krsna is everything, then we attain real knowledge.
In other words, knowledge is nothing but the preliminary stage of understanding devotional service perfectly.
13.20
prakrtim purusam caiva
viddhy anadi ubhav api
vikarams ca gunams caiva
viddhi prakrti-sambhavan
prakrtim--material nature; purusam--living entities; ca--also; eva--certainly; viddhi--must know; anadi--without beginning; ubhau--both; api--also; vikaran--transformation; ca--also; gunan--three modes of nature; ca--also; eva--certainly; viddhi--know; prakrti--material nature; sambhavan--produced of.
TRANSLATION
Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless.
Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.
PURPORT
By this knowledge, the body, the field of activities and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul) can be known.
The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature.
It is the individual soul which is embodied.
Enjoying the activities of the body is the purusa, or the living entity.
He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul.
Of course, it is to be understood that both the Supersoul and the individual entity are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The living entity is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion.
Both material nature and the living entity are eternal.
That is to say that they existed before the creation.
The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord and so also are the living entities, but they are of the superior energy.
Both of them existed before this cosmos was manifested.
Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Maha-Visnu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of mahat-tattva.
Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are adverse to serving the Supreme Lord.
Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky.
After the winding up of material nature, these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world.
That is the mystery of this material creation.
Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature.
It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place.
In the scriptures the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence.
But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all the transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature.
All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body.
As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.
13.21
karya-karana-kartrtve
hetuh prakrtir ucyate
purusah sukha-duhkhanam
bhoktrtve hetur ucyate
karya--effect; karana--cause; kartrtve--in the matter of creation; hetuh--instrument; prakrtih--material nature; ucyate--is said to be; purusah--the living entities; sukha--happiness; duhkhanam--of distresses; bhoktrtve--in enjoyment; hetuh--instrument; ucyate--is said to be.
TRANSLATION
Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
PURPORT
The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature.
There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are the creation of the material nature.
They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the living entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that.
When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress.
His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is.
In his original state there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state.
Because of the desire to lord it over material nature, he is in the material world.
In the spiritual world there is no such thing.
The spiritual world is pure, but in the material world everyone is struggling hard to acquire victims who present different pleasures to the body.
It might be more clear to state that this body is the effect of the senses.
The senses are instruments for gratifying desire.
Now, the sum total--body and instrument senses--are offered by material nature, and, as will be clear in the next verse, the living entity is blessed or damned with circumstances according to his past desire and activity.
According to one's desires and activities, material nature places one in various residential quarters.
The being himself is the cause of his attaining such residential quarters and his attendant enjoyment or suffering.
Once placed in some particular kind of body, he comes under the control of nature because the body, being matter, acts according to the laws of nature.
At that time, the living entity has no power to change that law.
Suppose an entity is put into the body of a dog.
As soon as he is put into the body of a dog, he must act like a dog.
He cannot act otherwise.
And if the living entity is put into the body of a hog, then he is forced to eat stool and act like a hog.
Similarly, if the living entity is put into the body of a demigod, he must act according to his body.
This is the law of nature.
But in all circumstances, the Supersoul is with the individual soul.
That is explained in the Vedas as follows: dva suparna sayuja sakhaya.
The Supreme Lord is so kind upon the living entity that He always accompanies the individual soul and in all circumstances is present as the Supersoul or Paramatma.
13.22
purusah prakrti-stho hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
purusah--the living entity; prakrti-sthah--being situated in the material energy; hi--certainly; bhunkte--enjoys; prakrti-jan--produced by the material nature; gunan--modes of nature; karanam--cause; guna-sangah--association with the modes of nature; asya--of the living entity; sat-asat--good and bad; yoni--species of life; janmasu--birth.
TRANSLATION
The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature.
This is due to his association with that material nature.
Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.
PURPORT
This verse is very important for an understanding of how the living entities transmigrate from one body to another.
It is explained in the Second Chapter that the living entity is transmigrating from one body to another just as one changes dress.
This change of dress is due to his attachment to material existence.
As long as he is captivated by this false manifestation, he has to continue transmigrating from one body to another.
Due to his desire to lord it over material nature, he is put into such undesirable circumstances.
Under the influence of material desire, the entity is born sometimes as a demigod, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic, as a saintly man, as a bug.
This is going on.
And in all cases the living entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances, yet he is under the influence of material nature.
How he is put into such different bodies is explained here.
It is due to association with the different modes of nature.
One has to rise, therefore, above the three material modes and become situated in the transcendental position.
That is called Krsna consciousness.
Unless one is situated in Krsna consciousness, his material consciousness will oblige him to transfer from one body to another because he has material desires since time immemorial.
But he has to change that conception.
That change can be effected only by hearing from authoritative sources.
The best example is here: Arjuna is hearing the science of God from Krsna.
The living entity, if he submits to this hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate material nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his long desire to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness.
In a Vedic mantra it is said that as he becomes learned in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his eternal blissful life.
13.23
upadrastanumanta ca
bharta bhokta mahesvarah
paramatmeti capy ukto
dehe 'smin purusah parah
upadrasta--overseer; anumanta--permitter; ca--also; bharta--master; bhokta--supreme enjoyer; mahesvarah--the Supreme Lord; paramatma--Supersoul; iti--also; ca--and; api uktah--is said; dehe--in this body; asmin--this; purusah--enjoyer; parah--transcendental.
TRANSLATION
Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.
PURPORT
It is stated here that the Supersoul, who is always with the individual soul, is the representation of the Supreme Lord.
He is not an ordinary living entity.
Because the monist philosophers take the knower of the body to be one, they think that there is no difference between the Supersoul and the individual soul.
To clarify this, the Lord says that He is the representation of Paramatma in every body.
He is different from the individual soul; He is parah, transcendental.
The individual soul enjoys the activities of a particular field, but the Supersoul is present not as finite enjoyer nor as one taking part in bodily activities, but as the witness, overseer, permitter and supreme enjoyer.
His name is Paramatma, not atma, and He is transcendental.
It is distinctly clear that the atma and Paramatma are different.
The Supersoul, the Paramatma, has legs and hands everywhere, but the individual soul does not.
And because He is the Supreme Lord, He is present within to sanction the individual soul's desiring material enjoyment.
Without the sanction of the Supreme Soul, the individual soul cannot do anything.
The individual is bhakta or the sustained, and He is bhukta or the maintainer.
There are innumerable living entities, and He is staying in them as a friend.
The fact is that individual living entities are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and both of them are very intimately related as friends.
But the living entity has the tendency to reject the sanction of the Supreme Lord and act independantly in an attempt to dominate the supreme nature, and because he has this tendency, he is called the marginal energy of the Supreme Lord.
The living entity can be situated either in the material energy or the spiritual energy.
As long as he is conditioned by the material energy, the Supreme Lord, as his friend, the Supersoul, stays with him just to get him to return to the spiritual energy.
The Lord is always eager to take him back to the spiritual energy, but due to his minute independence, the individual entity is continually rejecting the association of spiritual light.
This misuse of independence is the cause of his material strife in the conditioned nature.
The Lord, therefore, is always giving instruction from within and from without.
From without He gives instructions as stated in Bhagavad-gita, and from within He tries to convince him that his activities in the material field are not conducive to real happiness.
"Just give it up and turn your faith toward Me.
Then you will be happy," He says.
Thus the intelligent person who places his faith in the Paramatma or the Supreme Personality of Godhead begins to advance toward a blissful eternal life of knowledge
13.24
ya evam vetti purusam
prakrtim ca gunaih saha
sarvatha vartamano 'pi
na sa bhuyo 'bhijayate
yah--anyone; evam--thus; vetti--understands; purusam--the living entities; prakrtim--material nature; ca--and; gunaih--modes of material nature; saha--with; sarvatha--by all means; vartamanah--situated; api--in spite of; na--never; sah--he; bhuyah--again; abhijayate--takes his birth.
TRANSLATION
One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation.
He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position.
PURPORT
Clear understanding of material nature, the Supersoul, the individual soul and their interrelation makes one eligible to become liberated and turn to the spiritual atmosphere without being forced to return to this material nature.
This is the result of knowledge.
The purpose of knowledge is to understand distinctly that the living entity has by chance fallen into this material existence.
By his personal endeavor in association with authorities, saintly persons and a spiritual master, he has to understand his position and then revert to spiritual consciousness or Krsna consciousness by understanding Bhagavad-gita as it is explained by the Personality of Godhead.
Then it is certain that he will never come again into this material existence; he will be transferred into the spiritual world for a blissful eternal life of knowledge.
13.25
dhyanenatmani pasyanti
kecid atmanam atmana
anye sankhyena yogena
karma-yogena capare
dhyanena--by meditation; atmani--self; pasyanti--see; kecit--one; atmanam--Supersoul; atmana--by the mind; anye--others; sankhyena--by philosophical discussion; yogena--by the yoga system; karma-yogena--by activities without fruitive desire; ca--also; apare--others.
TRANSLATION
That Supersoul is perceived by some through meditation, by some through the cultivation of knowledge, and by others through working without fruitive desire.
PURPORT
The Lord informs Arjuna that the conditioned soul can be divided into two classes as far as man's search for self-realization is concerned.
Those who are atheists, agnostics and skeptics are beyond the sense of spiritual understanding.
But there are others who are faithful in their understanding of spiritual life, and they are called workers who have renounced fruitive results.
Those who always try to establish the doctrine of monism are also counted among the atheists and agnostics.
In other words, only the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are really capable of spiritual understanding because they understand that beyond this material nature there is the spiritual world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is expanded as the Paramatma, the Supersoul in everyone, the all-pervading Godhead.
Of course there are those who try to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth by cultivation of knowledge, and they can be counted in the second class.
The atheistic philosophers analyze this material world into twenty-four elements, and they place the individual soul as the twenty-fifth item.
When they are able to understand the nature of the individual soul to be transcendental to the material elements, they are able to understand also that above the individual soul there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
He is the twenty-sixth element.
Thus gradually they also come to the standard of devotional service in Krsna consciousness.
Those who work without fruitive results are also perfect in their attitude.
They are given a chance to advance to the platform of devotional service in Krsna consciousness.
Here it is stated that there are some people who are pure in consciousness and who try to find out the Supersoul by meditation, and when they discover the Supersoul within themselves, they become transcendentally situated.
Similarly, there are others who also try to understand the Supreme Soul by cultivation of knowledge, and there are others who cultivate the hatha-yoga system and who try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by childish activities.
13.26
anye tv evam ajanantah
srutvanyebhya upasate
te 'pi catitaranty eva
mrtyum sruti-parayanah
anye--others; tu--but; evam--this; ajanantah--without spiritual knowledge; srutva--by hearing; anyebhyah--from others; upasate--begin to worship; te--they; api--also; ca--and; atitaranti--transcend; eva--certainly; mrtyum--the path of death; sruti-parayanah--inclined to the process of hearing.
TRANSLATION
Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others.
Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.
PURPORT
This verse is particularly applicable to modern society because in modern society there is practically no education in spiritual matters.
Some of the people may appear to be atheistic or agnostic or philosophical, but actually there is no knowledge of philosophy.
As for the common man, if he is a good soul, then there is a chance for advancement by hearing.
This hearing process is very important.
Lord Caitanya, who preached Krsna consciousness in the modern world, gave great stress to hearing because if the common man simply hears from authoritative sources, he can progress, especially, according to Lord Caitanya, if he hears the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
It is stated, therefore, that all men should take advantage of hearing from realized souls and gradually become able to understand everything.
The worship of the Supreme Lord will then undoubtedly take place.
Lord Caitanya has said that in this age no one needs to change his position, but one should give up the endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative reasoning.
One should learn to become the servant of those who are in knowledge of the Supreme Lord.
If one is fortunate enough to take shelter of a pure devotee, hear from him about self-realization and follow in his footsteps, he will be gradually elevated to the position of a pure devotee.
In this verse particularly the process of hearing is strongly recommended, and this is very appropriate.
Although the common man is often not as capable as so-called philosophers, faithful hearing from an authoritative person will help one transcend this material existence and go back to Godhead, back to home.
13.27
yavat sanjayate kincit
sattvam sthavara-jangamam
ksetra-ksetrajna-samyogat
tad viddhi bharatarsabha
yavat--whatever; samjayate--takes place; kincit--anything; sattvam--existence; sthavara--not moving; jangamam--moving; ksetra--the body; ksetrajna--knower of the body; samyogat--union between; tat viddhi--you must know it; bharatarsabha--O chief of the Bharatas.
TRANSLATION
O chief of the Bharatas, whatever you see in existence, both moving and unmoving, is only the combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.
PURPORT
Both material nature and the living entity, which were existing before the creation of the cosmos, are explained in this verse.
Whatever is created is but a combination of the living entity and material nature.
There are many manifestations like trees, mountains and hills, which are not moving, and there are many existences which are moving, and all of them are but combinations of material nature and superior nature, the living entity.
Without the touch of the superior nature, the living entity, nothing can grow.
Therefore the relationship between matter and nature is eternally going on, and this combination is effected by the Supreme Lord; therefore He is the controller of both the superior and inferior natures.
The material nature is created by Him, and the superior nature is placed in this material nature, and thus all these activities and manifestations take place.
13.28
samam sarvesu bhutesu
tisthantam paramesvaram
vinasyatsv avinasyantam
yah pasyati sa pasyati
samam--equally; sarvesu--in all; bhutesu--living entities; tisthantam--residing; paramesvaram--the Supersoul; vinasyatsu--in the destructible; avinasyantam--not destroyed; yah--anyone; pasyati--see; sah--he; pasyati--actually sees.
TRANSLATION
One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul is ever destroyed, actually sees.
PURPORT
Anyone who can see three things--the body, the proprietor of the body, or individual soul, and the friend of the individual soul, combined together by good association--is actually in knowledge.
Those who are not associated with the soul's friend are ignorant; they simply see the body, and when the body is destroyed they think that everything is finished, but actually it is not so.
After the destruction of the body, both the soul and the Supersoul exist, and they go on eternally in many various moving and unmoving forms.
The Sanskrit word paramesvaram is sometimes translated as the individual soul because the soul is the master of the body, and after the destruction of the body he transfers to another form.
In that way he is master.
But there are others who interpret this paramesvaram to be the Supersoul.
In either case, both the Supersoul and the individual soul continue.
They are not destroyed.
One who can see in this way can actually see what is happening.
13.29
samam pasyan hi sarvatra
samavasthitam isvaram
na hinasty atmanatmanam
tato yati param gatim
samam--equally; pasyan--seeing; hi--certainly; sarvatra--everywhere; samavasthitam--equally situated; isvaram--Supersoul; na--does not; hinasti--degrade; atmana--by the mind; atmanam--the soul; tatah yati--then reaches; param--the transcendental; gatim--destination.
TRANSLATION
One who sees the Supersoul in every living being and equal everywhere does not degrade himself by his mind.
Thus he approaches the transcendental destination.
PURPORT
The living entity, by accepting his material existence as just so much suffering, can become situated in his spiritual existence.
If one understands that the Supreme is situated in His Paramatma manifestation everywhere, that is, if one can see the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living thing, he does not degrade himself, and he therefore gradually advances in the spiritual world.
The mind is generally addicted to self-centered processes; but when the mind turns to the Supersoul, one becomes advanced in spiritual understanding.
13.30
prakrtyaiva ca karmani
kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam
akartaram sa pasyati
prakrtya--material nature; eva--certainly; ca--also; karmani--activities; kriyamanani--engaged in performing; sarvasah--in all respects; yah--anyone who; pasyati--sees; tatha--also; atmanam--himself; akartaram--non-doer; sah--he; pasyati--sees perfectly.
TRANSLATION
One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.
PURPORT
This body is made by material nature under the direction of the Supersoul, and whatever activities are going on in respect to one's body are not his doing.
Whatever one is supposed to do, either for happiness or for distress, one is forced to do because of the bodily constitution.
The self, however, is outside all these bodily activities.
This body is given according to one's past desires.
To fulfill desires, one is given the body, with which he acts accordingly.
Practically speaking, the body is a machine, designed by the Supreme Lord, to fulfill desires.
Because of desires, one is put into difficult circumstances to suffer or to enjoy.
This transcendental vision of the living entity, when developed, makes one separate from bodily activities.
One who has such a vision is an actual seer.
13.31
yada bhuta-prthag-bhavam
eka-stham anupasyati
tata eva ca vistaram
brahma sampadyate tada
yada--when; bhuta--living entities; prthak-bhavam--separated entities; eka-stham--situated in one; anupasyati--tries to see through authority; tatah eva--thereafter; ca--also; vistaram--expanded; brahma--the Absolute; sampadyate--attains; tada--at that time.
TRANSLATION
When a sensible man ceases to see different identities, which are due to different material bodies, he attains to the Brahman conception.
Thus he sees that beings are expanded everywhere.
PURPORT
When one can see that the various bodies of living entities arise due to the different desires of the individual soul and do not actually belong to the soul itself, one actually sees.
In the material conception of life, we find someone a demigod, someone a human being, a dog, a cat, etc.
This is material vision, not actual vision.
This material differentiation is due to a material conception of life.
After the destruction of the material body, this spirit soul is one.
The spirit soul, due to contact with material nature, gets different types of bodies.
When one can see this, he attains spiritual vision; thus being freed from differentiations like man, animal, big, low, etc., one becomes beautified in his consciousness and able to develop Krsna consciousness in his spiritual identity.
How he then sees things will be explained in the next verse.
13.32
anaditvan nirgunatvat
paramatmayam avyayah
sarira-stho 'pi kaunteya
na karoti na lipyate
anaditvat--due to eternity; nirgunatvat--due to transcendental; param--beyond material nature; atma--spirit; ayam--this; avyayah--inexhaustable; sarira-sthah api--though dwelling in the body; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; na karoti--never does anything; na lipyate--nor is he entangled.
TRANSLATION
Those with the vision of eternity can see that the soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature.
Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.
PURPORT
A living entity appears to be born because of the birth of the material body, but actually the living entity is eternal; he is not born, and in spite of his being situated in a material body, he is transcendental and eternal.
Thus he cannot be destroyed.
By nature he is full of bliss.
He does not engage himself in any material activities; therefore the activities performed due to his contact with material bodies do not entangle him.
13.33
yatha sarva-gatam sauksmyad
akasam nopalipyate
sarvatravasthito dehe
tathatma nopalipyate
yatha--as; sarva-gatam--all-pervading; sauksmyat--due to being subtle; akasam--the sky; na--never; upalipyate--mixes; sarvatra--everywhere; avasthitah--situated; dehe--in the body; tatha--such; atma--the self; na--never; upalipyate--mixes.
TRANSLATION
The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all-pervading.
Similarly, the soul, situated in Brahman vision, does not mix with the body, though situated in that body.
PURPORT
The air enters into water, mud, stool and whatever else is there; still it does not mix with anything.
Similarly, the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature.
Therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes how the living entity is in contact with this body and how he is out of it after the destruction of the body.
No one in science can ascertain this.
13.34
yatha prakasayaty ekah
krtsnam lokam imam ravih
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata
yatha--as; prakasayati--illuminates; ekah--one; krtsnam--the whole; lokam--universe; imam--this; ravih--the sun, ksetram--this body; ksetri--the soul; tatha--similarly; krtsnam--all; prakasayati--illuminates; bharata--O son of Bharata.
TRANSLATION
O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.
PURPORT
There are various theories regarding consciousness.
Here in Bhagavad-gita the example of the sun and the sunshine is given.
As the sun is situated in one place, but is illuminating the whole universe, so a small particle of spirit soul, although situated in the heart of this body, is illuminating the whole body by consciousness.
Thus consciousness is the proof of the presence of the soul, as sunshine or light is the proof of the presence of the sun.
When the soul is present in the body, there is consciousness all over the body, and as soon as the soul has passed from the body, there is no more consciousness.
This can be easily understood by any intelligent man.
Therefore consciousness is not a production of the combinations of matter.
It is the symptom of the living entity.
The consciousness of the living entity, although qualitatively one with the supreme consciousness, is not supreme because the consciousness of one particular body does not share that of another body.
But the Supersoul, which is situated in all bodies as the friend of the individual soul, is conscious of all bodies.
That is the difference between supreme consciousness and individual consciousness.
13.35
ksetra-ksetrajnayor evam
antaram jnana-caksusa
bhuta-prakrti-moksam ca
ye vidur yanti te param
ksetra--body; ksetrajnayoh--of the proprietor of the body; evam--that; antaram--difference; jnana-caksusa--by vision of knowledge; bhuta--living entity; prakrti--material nature; moksam--liberation; ca--also; ye--one who; viduh--knows; yanti--approaches; te--they; param--Supreme.
TRANSLATION
One who knowingly sees this difference between the body and the owner of the body and can understand the process of liberation from this bondage, also attains to the supreme goal.
PURPORT
The purport of this Thirteenth Chapter is that one should know the distinction between the body, the owner of the body, and the Supersoul.
A faithful person should at first have some good association to hear of God and thus gradually become enlightened.
If one accepts a spiritual master, he can learn to distinguish between matter and spirit, and that becomes the steppingstone for further spiritual realization.
A spiritual master teaches his students to get free from the material concept of life by various instructions.
For instance, in Bhagavad-gita we find Krsna instructing Arjuna to free him from materialistic considerations.
One can understand that this body is matter; it can be analyzed with its twenty-four elements.
That is the gross manifestation.
And the subtle manifestation is the mind and psychological effects.
And the symptoms of life are the interaction of these features.
But over and above this, there is the soul, and there is also the Supersoul.
The soul and the Supersoul are two.
This material world is working by the conjunction of the soul and the twenty-four material elements.
One who can see the constitution of the whole material manifestation as this combination of the soul and material elements and also can see the situation of the Supreme Soul becomes eligible for transfer to the spiritual world.
These things are meant for contemplation and for realization, and one should have a complete understanding of this chapter with the help of the spiritual master.