Gita 13.03 Knowledge means to know both matter and spirit

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Bhagavad Gita 13.3 So, here this means that Krishna has told in the previous verse that the body is the kshetra and the person who lives in the body, the soul is the kshetragya.

Arjuna had asked the question in 13.1 All six things, prakrti and purusha, nityaiva, kshetra, kshetragya me evacham, etadvedi tum ikshami, gyanam gayam ja keshava. So, he's asked about kshetra, kshetragya, prakrti, purusha and gyanagya. So, Krishna starts by answering about kshetra and kshetragya.

In 13.2, he has answered about kshetra and kshetragya succinctly and he continues that answer over here in 13.3 where he says, he said that one who knows the body is the kshetragya. That was of 13.2 and now Krishna says that I am also the kshetragya. I am the one who is present in all bodies and the second half of it is and understanding the difference between kshetra and kshetragya that is gyanam, that is knowledge.

So, actually Krishna in 13.3 also briefly addressing the question about what is knowledge. That was also a question. Interestingly, Krishna will answer this question again in the same chapter from 13.8 to 12 where he will give a list of qualities that comprise jnana.

So, in that sense, Krishna gives in this chapter two definitions of jnana. One is here one who understands the knowledge of the difference between kshetra, kshetragya that is jnana and that later he gives a list of qualities that is jnana. We will look at the correlation between these two definitions.

But before that, let us look at the first part of the answer. So, Krishna is saying here I am also the kshetragya. This means that he is saying that essentially the point of that he is essentially stressing the point of the difference between the anuatma and the paramatma that the anuatma is present in one sharira whereas the paramatma is present in all shariras, in all bodies.

I know all kshetra. Now clearly this is not referring to us because we don't know all bodies. If there is some pain in your body, I don't know it unless you tell me about it.

And even when you tell me, I don't experience that pain. It is you who are experiencing that pain. And similarly, you don't know what is happening in my body.

So, Jiva Goswami in his Shattsandarbhas stresses especially the word kshetragyam cha. So, the kshetragya is also me. That means Krishna is talking about the kshetragyas, two kshetragyas.

And one kshetragya is the soul, the individual, and the other kshetragya is the super soul. He is present in all kshetras. So, this theme will be illustrated later also.

When we repeat it later in this chapter, we will talk about how he is present, who is the overseer and the permitter of everything. So, there is also the difference between the individual soul, the knower, the soul who is present in one particular body and who is actually entangled in the body. And the other knower who is not entangled in the body, who is transcendental to the body, that is brought about.

So, to say that the same kshetragya in 13.2 and 13.3 are the same person, the Atma and the Parmatma are the same is to misunderstand and misrepresent the Gita's teaching. And Shri Prabhupada says, I am also the knower. Parmatma is present in all bodies, the Atma is present in one body.

Now, so, this 13th chapter is often thought of as supportive of monistic ideas. And monism is a valid level of spiritual realization that one sees beyond all the diversity of material forms, there is actually one substance underlying it all and that substance is spirit. That is fine, but matter also is real and spirit also has variety.

So, monism is a transitional realization, it is not an ultimate realization. And that is what even this chapter points towards and it talks about diversity even within spirit that there are two purushas or two kshetragyas. Now, moving on to the point of Krishna says that the antara, that one who understands, that person is the person who has knowledge or the knowledge of the different kshetragyas, that is knowledge.

This theme will be reiterated at the end of this chapter 13.35 when Krishna will say that Today, Krishna will state that he is the one who understands the different kshetragya and one who knows the process of liberation from material existence, that person That person will take the supreme destination. So, as a concluding message also, this chapter Krishna says, highlights it, understanding the difference between kshetra and kshetragya. So, understanding the difference of matter and spirit, understanding the difference between body and soul is critical for the process of spiritual growth, for spiritual evolution.

In fact, many spiritualists or many people who consider themselves to be spiritual, they do not get this difference so clearly. They accept that there exists a soul, there is some spiritual side to me, but even in the Abrahamic religions, although the soul is talked about, the soul is often used as, the word soul is used often as a metaphorical reference to our non-material essence. It is not differentiated clearly from the body, but here it is clearly differentiated.

And now this differentiation is not just intellectual, it is meant to be transformational. That means, to be able to see the difference between body and soul, we have to live in a particular way. We have to internalize certain qualities and then this knowledge will become real for us.

It will not be theoretical, it will become real for us. And that, the qualities which we need to internalize, that will be described from 13.8 to 12. And 20 items that comprise knowledge that Krishna will describe at that point.

So, here Krishna defines knowledge in terms of its, we could say, purpose. An important purpose that is to differentiate between matter and spirit. For the Jnanis, this is the ultimate purpose.

For the Bhaktas, the ultimate purpose will be highlighted in 15.15. All the Vedas, I am to be known. The Vedas can refer to, specifically to the Vedic texts. Veda can also refer generally to knowledge.

So, the purpose of all knowledge is to know Krishna. Now, moving on. Now, at this stage, the chapters 13 to 18 comprise the Jnana section of the Nita.

Here, Krishna uses the concepts of Jnana to highlight the conclusiveness of Bhakti. And keep echoing that theme, Krishna speaks here. And Krishna says that, Krishna will take things in a progressive way.

Here, he echoes the Jnani conception of Jnana, where its primary differentiation between Kshetra and Kshetravya. Understanding of Kshetra and Kshetravya. Now, of course, in the impersonal conception, the focus is simply on differentiating Kshetra and Kshetravya and seeing all Kshetravyas as an undifferentiated oneness.

But in Bhakti, we understand that there is difference between the Kshetra and Kshetravya also and appreciating the difference is also vital for the sustenance, for the nourishment of our devotion. When we understand that how tiny we are and how great Krishna is, that also enhances our devotion to him. And that will be highlighted, that will be discussed in later.

It has already been talked about in less than 10 chapters when Krishna talks about Vibhuti Yoga and his greatness has been also talked about in the previous chapters, especially in the Virat Upadarshan, when he is, Vishwa Upadarshan, which he has given. So, at this stage, Krishna says that he is also the Kshetra Gyan, that there is a Kshetra, that knower of the body is one who is present in the body. There is another knower who is present in all bodies.

And understanding Kshetra and Kshetragya, that comprises knowledge. And this knowledge can be internalized by actually developing qualities. And those qualities will be mentioned later in the list of 20 qualities that Krishna mentions from 13.8 to 12.