Verse 13.1

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.1:

अर्जुन उवाच–
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञम् एव च ।
एतद् वेदितुम् इच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव ॥ १ ॥

arjuna uvāca–
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñam eva ca |
etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava || 1 ||

arjuna uvāca–Arjuna said; prakṛtim–nature; puruṣam–the enjoyer; ca–and; eva–indeed; kṣetram–the field; kṣetra-jñam–the knower of the field; eva–certainly; ca–and; etat–these things; veditum–to understand; icchāmi–I desire; jñānam–knowledge; jñeyam–the object of knowledge; ca–and; keśava–O Keśava.

Arjuna said: O Keśava, I would like to understand nature (prakṛti), the enjoyer (puruṣa), the field (kṣetra), the knower of the field (kṣetra-jña), knowledge (jñāna) and the object of knowledge (jñeya).

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

I pay my obeisances to devotion to Śrī Bhagavān, a portion of which is mercifully situated in processes such as jñāna so as to make them successful. Knowledge mixed with devotion (bhakti-miśra-jñāna) is described in this third set of six chapters. Indirectly, these chapters also refer to the supremacy of exclusive devotion. This Thirteenth Chapter specifically deals with the subjects of the body (kṣetra), the soul (jīvātmā) and the Supersoul (Paramātmā), the process of knowledge (jñāna) and an extensive deliberation on the living entity (jīva) and material nature (prakṛti).

Bhagavān is attained only by exclusive, pure devotion (kevalā-bhakti). This is described in the second set of six chapters. These chapters also describe three types of worship, such as worship performed by those who identify with the object of worship (ahaṅgraha-upāsanā). A niṣkāma-karma-yogī, who selflessly performs his prescribed duty and offers the result to Bhagavān, attains liberation by bhakti-miśra-jñāna, or knowledge mixed with devotion, which was briefly described in the first six chapters. Now begins the third set of six chapters, which explains in detail the field (kṣetra), the knower of the field (kṣetra-jña) and so forth.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā consists of eighteen chapters, which have been divided into three sections. The first six chapters describe niṣkāma-karma-yoga, bhakti-miśra-jñāna and topics that are relevant for knowledge of the soul and the Supersoul. The second set of six chapters explains the glory of exclusive devotion; deliberates on spiritual and material devotion (parā and aparā bhakti); and describes the glory of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa, as well as the glory of the svarūpa of the devotee. It also explains the speciality and supremacy of bhakti compared to various other processes, and gives details of other similar topics. Tattva-jñāna is explained in detail in this third set of six chapters. Previously, it was described only in brief. It deliberates on material nature (prakṛti), the enjoyer (puruṣa), the field (kṣetra) and the knower of the field (kṣetra-jña). The most confidential instruction of Śrī Gītā is finally delivered in the Eighteenth Chapter.

In the first verse of this chapter, Arjuna is inquiring about such principles as prakṛti, puruṣa, kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, jñāna and jñeya. Some commentators, however, have purposely omitted this first verse, in which these questions have been raised.