Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 4 (BG 13.4) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

13.4 तत् that? क्षेत्रम् field? यत् which? च and? यादृक् what like? च and? यद्विकारि what its modifications? यतः whence? च and? यत् what? सः He? च and? यः who? यत्प्रभावः what His powers? च and? तत् that? समासेन in brief? मे from Me? श्रृणु hear.Commentary I will tell you? O Arjuna? what the field is? why the body is called the field? what are its modifications or changes in other words what transformations it undergoes? what are its properties? what effects arise in it from what causes? to whom it belongs? whether it is cultivated or whether it grows wild.That field refers to the field mentioned in verse 1.Who He is Who is that knower of the field What are His powers (Prabhavas are powers such as the power of seeing? hearing? etc.) which originate from the limiting adjuncts (such as the eys? the ears? etc.) Do thou hear My speech which describes succinctly the real nature of the field and the knower of the field in all these specific aspects.O Arjuna? I am ite sure that thou wilt clearly comprehend the truth on hearing My speech.The body is the field. The ten senses represent the ten bulls. The bulls work unceasingly day and night through the field of the objects of the senses. The mind is the supervisor. The individual soul is the tenant. The five vital airs (Pranas) are the five labourers. The Primordial Nature is the mistress of the field. This field is Her property. She Herself watches over the field vigilantly. She is endowed with the three alities. Rajas sows the seed Sattva guards it Tamas reaps the harvest. On the threshing floor or MahatTattva (the cosmic mind) with the help of the ox called time? She -- Primordial Nature -- thrashes out the corn. If the individual soul does evil actions? it sows the seeds of sin? manures with evil? reaps a crop of sin? and undergoes the pains of Samsara? viz.? birth? decay? old age? sickness? and the three kinds of afflictions. If it does virtuous actions it sows the good seeds of virtue and reaps a crop of happiness.Lord Krishna now speaks very highly in the following verse of the true nature of the field and the knower of the field in order to create interest in the hearer.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

The Blessed Lord Sri Krishna will not merely mention the objects of the field, but will also describe the qualities and characteristics of the field itself, its modifications, and the causes from which various effects arise. Similarly, in this chapter, He will also expound the nature of the knower of the field and the effects connected with its limitations. Hear all this from Me in brief. Merely repeating the descriptive attributes that reveal the nature of the infinite Self, or emphasizing them, brings no special benefit to a sincere seeker, nor does it aid in his spiritual development. To turn away one's gaze from the causes that give rise to the problems of our life means not to solve the problem at all. This world around us, which we ourselves have perceived, and those very processes through which we act and witness the infinite diversity of countless subjects, emotions, and thoughts—we must examine and study all of these with subtle observation. To neglect this is to deprive oneself of vast, essential, and substantive knowledge. This is self-deception. To formulate a strategy against enemies in warfare, one must have at least a general knowledge of the enemy's tactics. Similarly, to wage war against the field, to conquer it, and to free oneself from its bondage, it is necessary to know what the field is and how these limitations function and behave in particular circumstances. Thus, anatomy, biology, psychology, and other branches of natural science also contribute to understanding life. The path of knowledge in spirituality is the culmination of all worldly sciences and their fulfillment. This is confirmed by the very fact that even on the battlefield, when instructing Arjuna in this knowledge, the Blessed Lord does not forget to emphasize that complete knowledge of this field is a matter of great importance. We must study this with subtle understanding. To awaken the student's interest in perceiving, studying, and understanding the identity of the field and the knower of the field, the Blessed Lord, while praising this subject matter, speaks thus: