Verse 13.5

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.5:

ऋषिभिर् बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर् विविधैः पृथक् ।
ब्रह्म-सूत्र-पदैश् चैव हेतुमद्भिर् विनिश्चितैः ॥ ५ ॥

ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṃ chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak |
brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ || 5 ||

ṛṣibhiḥ–by the sages; bahudhā–in many ways; gītam–has been described in song; chandobhiḥ–by the hymns of the Vedas; vividhaiḥ–through various ways; pṛthak–distinctly; brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ–through the statements of the Vedānta-sūtra;ca–and; eva–indeed; hetumadbhiḥ–reasonable; viniścitaiḥ–perfectly ascertained conclusions.

The truth of the field and the knower of the field have been ex-plained concisely in many ways by saintly persons in numerous Vedic literatures, and it is described with perfect logic and definitive conclusions in the verses of Vedānta-sūtra.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

“Whose description of this subject matter are You going to briefly explain to me?” Anticipating this question from Arjuna, Śrī Bhagavān says, “Saints like Vasiṣṭha and others have described this in their yoga-śāstras.” Chandobhir means that it is also explained in the Vedas. Moreover, it is described in the Brahma-sūtra in aphorisms such as “athāto brahma-jijñāsā–therefore, one should enquire about brahma” (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.1). Since these sūtras substantiate brahma, the Supreme Absolute Truth, they are known as pāda, that which gives the evidence required to establish Him.

What is the nature of that brahma? In response, Śrī Bhagavān explains, “This point specifically addresses the subject of the cause and effect of the universe.” It is determined by deliberating upon the truth of the substantial imports of Brahma-sūtra, such as “ikṣate nāśabdam–the Supreme Lord is not indescribable” (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.5), and “ānandamayo’bhyāsāt–by nature the Supreme Lord is blissful” (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.12).

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

The tattva of kṣetra and its kṣetra-jña, as explained by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is accepted by all philosophers. This tattva is also clearly established in authoritative scriptures such as the Vedas, the Upaniṣads and Brahma-sūtra. Because the Vedas are apauruṣeya (not composed by any mortal being) they are accepted by everyone. The essence of the Vedas is the Upaniṣads, or Vedānta.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa, an incarnation of Bhagavān, reconciled the seemingly contradictory statements of the Vedas and presented them in the form of short aphorisms, or sūtras, known collectively as the Vedānta-sūtra. The statements of the Vedānta-sūtra such as ikṣate nāśabdam (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.5) and ānandamayo’bhyāsāt (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.12) support this conclusion. Ikṣate nāśabdam means that brahma can be seen and experienced only through the statements of the scriptures because He is na aśabdam–He cannot be known other than through the statements of the Vedas. This is explained in Brahma-sūtra (1.1.3), “śāstra-yonitvāt–brahma can be known and experienced through scripture (śāstra).” Brahma is the subject matter established by the Vedas; therefore, He is not beyond words. How is He experienced? In response to this question, it is further said, “ānandamayo’bhyāsāt

–the Supreme, whose very nature is filled with superlative bliss, can be seen and experienced by the practice of bhakti.” These statements establish Parabrahma as the perfect, or complete, knower of the field of the body, and the jīva who sees or experiences Him, or who performs bhakti to that Personality who is composed of bliss‚ as the partial, or secondary, knower of that field. Furthermore, according to Brahma-sūtra (2.3.16), “nātmā śruter nityatvāc ca tābhyaḥ–the jīva is described as a partial kṣetra-jña.” According to Brahma-sūtra (2.3.39), “parāt tu tac chruteḥ–Parabrahma is accepted as the complete kṣetra-jña and is superior to the living entity.”

In this verse, the word ṛṣis (sages) refers to the literature written by saints like Vasiṣṭha, and chanda (Sanskrit metre) refers to other Vedic literatures. In the Ṛju branch of the Vedas it is said: tasmād vā etasmād ātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ ity ādinā brahma pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā ity astenānna-mayaṃ prāṇamaya-mano maya-vijñānamayānanda-mayāḥ pañca-puruṣāḥ paṭhitās teṣv annamayādi-trayaṃ jaḍa-kṣetra-svarūpaṃ‚ tato bhinno vijñānamayo jīvas tasya bhokteti jīva-kṣetrajña-svarūpaṃ‚ tasmāc ca bhinnaḥ sarvāntara ānandamaya itīśvara-kṣetrajña-svarūpam uktam (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.2). This means, “Among conscious entities, there are five gradations of puruṣa, or enjoyer: annamaya (conscious only of food), prāṇamaya (conscious only of life), manomaya (conscious of the mind), vijñānamaya (conscious of the soul) and ānandamaya (conscious only of bliss). The first three (annamaya, prāṇamaya and manomaya) represent consciousness centred upon the inert kṣetra (material body). Different from them is the vijñānamaya-puruṣa, the jīva‚ who, as the knower of the kṣetra (this material body), is the secondary kṣetra-jña. Distinct from these two is the Supersoul, and He is the ānandamaya-puruṣa. This ānandamaya-puruṣa is indeed Parameśvara, the regulator of everything, the witness of all and the original kṣetra-jña.”