क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा |
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् || 35||
kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor evam antaraṁ jñāna-chakṣhuṣhā
bhūta-prakṛiti-mokṣhaṁ cha ye vidur yānti te param
kṣhetra—the body; kṣhetra-jñayoḥ—of the knower of the body; evam—thus; antaram—the difference; jñāna-chakṣhuṣhā—with the eyes of knowledge; bhūta—the living entity; prakṛiti-mokṣham—release from material nature; cha—and; ye—who; viduḥ—know; yānti—approach; te—they; param—the Supreme
Translation:
They who perceive with the eye of wisdom this distinction between the Field and the Knower of the Field, and also the deliverance from Prakriti, the cause of all beings— they attain the Supreme.
Commentary:
Evam: Thus the discrimination between kshetra and kshetrajna, between the Drik and Drisya, Purusha and prakriti, taught in this Discourse is declared to be the direct path to liberation (Moksha). Therefore, the seekers should realise the importance of the yoga, understand it clearly, and with faith in the Lord’s declaration, they should attain Brahma Jnana.
Antaram: (Distinction). The intermixing of Drik and Drisya, of kshetra and kshetrajna, is the cause of bondage. The individual (Jiva) is constantly identifying himself with the kshetram (the Field). “I am the body, I am the mind, am subject to disease and death, I am suffering, I am now so and so, I belong to this caste, I am wealthy, I am poor,” – in this way man, out of avidya’ feels that he is the body, and consequently he passes through all the ills of birth and death. In truth, the real man is Kshetrajna, Drik, Atma. So it follows that all the troubles and sorrows pertain to the body and mind only and not to Atma. The thoughtful man knows the distinction clearly, and he remains unaffected by the modifications of the body and mind. The others are lost in the flood of samsara. It is the eye of knowledge that finds out the difference between the body and the dweller in the body. The whole of this Discourse deals with the sharp distinction between the two.
Bhuta prakriti moksham: From time immemorial, man is bound and deluded by prakriti (Maya). Now he has awakened to that fact that he is bound, and that he should free himself from bondage. To liberate oneself from the binding veil of ‘avidya’ is Moksha. Moksha is not something to be got from the sky or the underworld. It is not an object. It is pure knowledge, the knowledge that the real man is Atma and not the body. If this knowledge is gained by discrimination between Kshetra and Kshetrajna man attains freedom and perfection. If a man feels that he is the kshetram, he is bound by prakriti; if on the other hand, he feels that he is Atma, prakriti has no power over him. How to gain this knowledge is the question for all seekers. The eye of knowledge should be opened. How is this eye of knowledge opened? How can man acquire the spiritual power of discrimination between the objective world and the subjective Drik? The Lord has made it clear that He bestows this gift on his devotees who worship Him with faith and love (tesham satata yuktanam dadami buddhi yogam). Therefore let all people worship the Lord in every way; let them purify the mind with good work for the sake of humanity; let them think and meditate on the truth, and so striving, they shall obtain the discriminatory power to reject Prakriti and find their identity with Paramatma. The Lord proclaimed the path and the goal with perfect clearness.
Yanti te param: Every man whoever he is and in whatever position he may be placed, is qualified to undertake this discriminatory path and attain Moksha (Yanti-param).
Question: What is Moksha?
Answer: Freedom from the power of Prakriti (Avidya) is Moksha.
Question: Who can attain it?
Answer: Those who know the distinction between Kshetra and Kshetrajna attain Moksha.
Question: How is the distinction realised?
Answer: By the eye of knowledge-Viveka.
Question: Therefore what is the way to attain Moksha?
Answer: With the eye of knowledge, to see clearly the distinction between Kshetra and Kshetrajna, is the way to Moksha.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 🔻 (35 Verses)
