Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Verse 1 (13.1)
Reflective Prompt:
When you observe your thoughts, feelings, and body, who is doing the observing?
- ▪ Option 1: The mind itself—my thoughts and physical sensations are all there is to who I am.
- ▪ Option 2: A quiet, witnessing self (Kshetrajna) that stands apart from the physical field (Kshetra).
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Verse 1 (13.1)
अर्जुन उवाच
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च । एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव | | १३-१ | |
arjuna uvācha prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva kṣhetraṁ kṣhetrajñameva cha etadveditumichchhāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ cha keśhava
Word-by-word guide:
Line 0:
- अर्जुन
(Arjuna)— हे अर्जुन(Arjuna said) - उवाच
(uvacha)— बोले(Arjuna said)
Line 1:
- प्रकृतिम्
(prakritim)— प्रकृति(Nature) - पुरुषम्
(purusham)— पुरुष को(God or the individual soul) - च
(cha)— और(and also) -
ivajoined in chaiva - क्षेत्रम्
(kshetram)— क्षेत्र(the field (matter/body)) - क्षेत्र-ज्ञम्
(kshetra-jnam)— थे जानने वाला का थे क्षेत्र(थे आत्मा) (the knower of the field (the self)) - एव
(eva)— ही(and also) - च
(cha)— और(and also)
Line 2:
- एतद्
(etad)— यह(this) - वेदितुम्
(veditum)— को जानना(to know) - इच्छामि
(icchami)— मैं चाहता हूं(I wish) - ज्ञानम्
(jnanam)— ज्ञान(knowledge) - ज्ञेयम्
(jneyam)— जानने योग्य(that which is worth knowing) - च
(cha)— और(and also) - केशव
(Keshava)— हे केशव(Krishna)
English: Arjuna said: Krishna, Who is God and what is Nature; what is Matter and what is the self; what is that they call Wisdom, and what is it that is worth knowing? I wish to have this explained.
Learnings from Shloka 1:
- Framework of Inquiry:: Sincere inquiry begins by defining the key elements of our physical and spiritual identity.
- Discrimination:: Real wisdom involves separating the objective world from the subjective witnessing Self.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 13.1 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Arjuna asks to understand Prakriti (nature), Purusha (the spirit), the Kshetra (field), the Kshetrajna (knower of the field), Gyan (knowledge), and the Jneya (object of knowledge). This sets up a complete analytical framework for discrimination.