श्रीभगवानुवाच |
इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते |
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विद: || 2||
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
idaṁ śharīraṁ kaunteya kṣhetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣhetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Divine Lord said; idam—this; śharīram—body; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; kṣhetram—the field of activities; iti—thus; abhidhīyate—is termed as; etat—this; yaḥ—one who; vetti—knows; tam—that person; prāhuḥ—is called; kṣhetra-jñaḥ—the knower of the field; iti—thus; tat-vidaḥ—those who discern the truth
Translation:
The Lord said: This body, Ο son of Kunti, is called the Field, and he who knows it is called the Knower of the Field by those who describe them.
Commentary:
‘Kshetram‘ means field. The field is necessary for growing corn and other things to sustain the beings of the world. So also the body is necessary for the growth of the seed of knowledge in the heart of man. All ‘sadhana’, ‘tapas’, thinking and meditation – all this is to be done with the body. So the body, the ‘kshetra’, is the field for the growth of the, seed of ‘Dharma’ as well as ‘Jnana’. Therefore it is called ‘kshetra’.
The body being inert (Jada’) does not know itself; There is a consciousness within with power to cognise the body. This consciousness power is known as ‘kshetrajna.’ He is ‘Pratyagatma’. He is the witness of the combined elements of the body, senses and the mind. He is changeless, pure, intelligence, deathless, separate from the five sheaths (Panchakosas). What is inert cannot know itself. The wall does not know that it is a wall, nor does a pot know that it is a pot. It is intelligence that has the power of cognition. That Intelligence is the Knower of the body. He knows. He (‘kshetrajna‘) is pure Intelligence.
The knower of the field is certainly different from the field. So the knower of the body should certainly be distinct from the body. Though Intelligence is in the body, yet it remains free and perfect, witnessing the modifications of the body and mind during all the three states of wakefulness ‘Jagrat’, dream ‘Svapna’ and sleep ‘Sushupti’.
What we had referred to earlier as Prakṛti and Purusha are now being spoken of by Bhagavan as kshetra and kshetrajña.
This body is referred to as the kṣetra, and the Consciousness within is the kṣetrajña. They are also called Prakṛti and Purusha, respectively. In the seventh chapter, we spoke about aparā-prakṛti and parā-prakṛti. Kṣetra is aparā-prakṛti and kṣetrajña is parā-prakṛti.
BUDDHA AND THE FARMER
This is a well-known anecdote from Buddha’s life. While walking through a paddy field, Buddha met a farmer. The farmer was tending to his crops, toiling under the blazing sun. The Enlightened One stood there and compassionately observed the hard-working farmer. This became a daily routine for Buddha. One day the farmer was tilling the soil when Buddha visited. The farmer asked Buddha what he did. Buddha replied that he was also tilling the soil. Another day, the farmer was sowing the seeds, and Buddha said that he too was sowing the seeds. The farmer took the Buddha to be a farmer like himself, became friendly with him, and promised him a share of his harvest’s profits. This went on for some days.
The farmer had already done the arduous work of clearing the weeds, tilling the soil and sowing the seeds. After some days, the paddy was ready for harvest. Then, unexpectedly it rained heavily for three days non-stop, and the whole crop was destroyed. The farmer was beyond himself in deep sorrow and lay lamenting as to how he would keep up the promise given to his friend. Suddenly, he found Buddha standing at his door.
The farmer received his friend inside his home. Buddha asked the farmer, “What happened to you?” The farmer said, “All my crops are destroyed. I presume your crop would also have been destroyed in this heavy rain.” Buddha smiled and said, “My dear friend, I have sown the seeds in such a way that they can never get destroyed. My farmland is this body, and the soil is my own mind. There, I sow the seeds of noble thoughts and water them daily with meditation. Total detachment is the fence with which I have safeguarded my harvest. The grains of peace are ever safe in my heart.” In this way, the Enlightened One taught the farmer the way to be free of sorrow. In fact, it was for this reason that Buddha had visited the farmer daily for so many days. Buddha had already foreseen the plight that would befall the farmer, and when the opportunity arose, the teaching was given to heal him of the sorrow.
From this story, we learn that the body is a farmland. In it, germinate the seeds of former actions and desires. The ultimate harvest that one can have in this field is the Realisation of the Self. This is the highest fruition. (Source: Srimad Bhagavad Gita – Elixir of Eternal Wisdom | Vol 3)
Question: What is Kshetra?
Answer: This body, this vehicle (Upadhi) is the Kshetra.
Question: Who is the kshetrajna?
Answer: Pure Intelligence (Pratyagatma) is the knower of the field.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 🔻 (35 Verses)
