Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field
Verse 13.3
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत। क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम।।13.3।।
kṣhetra-jñaṁ chāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣhetreṣhu bhārata kṣhetra-kṣhetrajñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama
Word Meanings
kṣhetra-jñam—the knower of the field; cha—also; api—only; mām—me; viddhi—know; sarva—all; kṣhetreṣhu—in individual fields of activities; bhārata—scion of Bharat; kṣhetra—the field of activities; kṣhetra-jñayoḥ—of the knower of the field; jñānam—understanding of; yat—which; tat—that; jñānam—knowledge; matam—opinion; mama—my
Translation · English
Do thou also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both the field and the knower of the field is considered by Me to be the knowledge.
Deep Meaning · English
In this pivotal verse, Lord Krishna unveils the highest realization of Advaita Vedanta: the essential non-duality between the individual soul (Jiva) and the Supreme Divine (Brahman). By declaring 'know Me to be the Knower of the Field in all fields,' Krishna shifts Arjuna’s perspective from seeing himself as a fragmented, limited identity to recognizing the singular consciousness that permeates every living form. This is not merely an intellectual acknowledgment of a deity; it is a profound ontological shift where the seeker recognizes that the 'I' that witnesses the body, mind, and world is the same 'I' that dwells in the hearts of all beings. Within the discourse, Krishna provides the key to spiritual liberation: discernment (Viveka). The 'Field' (Kshetra) represents the manifested universe—the body, senses, emotions, and thoughts—which are transient and objective. The 'Knower of the Field' (Kshetrajna) is the eternal, subjective consciousness. True knowledge, as Krishna defines it, is not the accumulation of information, but the direct, intuitive realization of the separation between the ephemeral matter and the immutable Spirit. This realization dissolves the ego, leading the devotee to see the Divine as the only underlying reality, thereby transmuting worldly activity into a continuous state of divine communion.
True knowledge is the direct realization that the witnessing consciousness within oneself is identical to the universal Divine presence dwelling within every living being.
Connected Verses
Krishna declares himself as the Knower of the Vedas and the source of consciousness seated in the hearts of all beings.
It complements the current verse by highlighting that he who sees the Lord equally in all perishable creatures truly sees reality.
It establishes the underlying unity of existence, comparing the universe to pearls strung on a thread of divine consciousness.
This verse reinforces the vision of universality, stating that the yogi sees the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self.
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