Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 Explained: Field and Knower of the Field

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, known as Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga, draws a fundamental distinction between the “Field” (Kshetra)—the body, mind, and entire realm of material nature—and the “Knower of the Field” (Kshetrajna), the pure consciousness that witnesses it all. In response to Arjuna’s inquiry about nature, the enjoyer, the field, and its knower, Krishna delivers a precise metaphysical analysis that forms the philosophical foundation for the Gita’s final six chapters . This chapter teaches that liberation comes not from escaping the field but from knowing oneself as the knower—distinct from the ever-changing body and mind. In one line: You are not the field of body and mind; you are the eternal awareness that knows it.

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Part 1: Arjuna’s Question and the Opening Definition

The Inquiry

Chapter 13 opens with Arjuna’s request for clarity on five fundamental realities :

“I wish to know about prakriti (nature), purusha (the enjoyer), the field (kshetra), the knower of the field (kshetrajna), and knowledge and the object of knowledge.”

This question sets the stage for Krishna’s most analytical discourse, one that scholars often describe as the philosophical heart of the Gita .

The Core Definition

Krishna’s answer is direct:

“This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.” (13.1)

The “field” (kshetra) is everything that can be known—the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect, the ego, and all objects of experience. The “knower” (kshetrajna) is the consciousness that is aware of the field. It is “the conscious principle in the corporeal frame,” immutable, eternal, and imperishable .

The text uses the analogy of a room or a floor: you say “my room,” “my floor,” “my body,” “my mind”—but never “I am the floor” or “I am the body.” This simple linguistic observation points to a deeper truth: the knower is distinct from what is known .

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Part 2: What Is the Field? (Kshetra)

The Composition of the Field

Krishna then describes what the field consists of (13.5-6) :

Category	Elements
Great Elements	Earth, water, fire, air, ether
Inner Instruments	Egoism, intellect, the Unmanifest (mula prakriti)
Senses	Ten senses (five of perception, five of action) and the mind
Objects of Sense	Sound, touch, color, taste, smell
Psychological States	Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain
Physical Structure	The body, consciousness, firmness

The field is everything that is insentient (jada)—matter and its modifications. It is mutable, transitory, and perishable .

The Field as a Farm

One traditional metaphor describes the field as a farm . The ten senses are the ten bulls working the field. The mind is the supervisor. The individual soul is the tenant. The five vital airs are the laborers. Primordial Nature (Prakriti) is the mistress of the field. Depending on whether the tenant sows good or evil seeds, the harvest is happiness or suffering.

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Part 3: What Is Knowledge? (Jnana)

The Twenty Virtues

Krishna then redefines “knowledge”—not as intellectual accumulation, but as a series of twenty virtues (13.7-11) :

Virtue	Sanskrit
Humility	Amanitvam
Unpretentiousness	Adambhitvam
Non-injury	Ahimsa
Forbearance	Kshanti
Uprightness	Arjavam
Service to the teacher	Acharya-upasana
Purity	Shaucha
Steadiness	Sthairya
Self-control	Atma-vinigraha
Renunciation of sense-objects	Indriyartha-vairagya
Absence of egoism	Anahankara
Reflection on the misery of birth, death, old age, disease	—
Non-attachment	Asakti
Non-identification with son, wife, home	—
Constant even-mindedness	Sama-chittatva
Unswerving devotion	Ananya-bhakti
Resort to solitary places	Vivikta-desha-sevitva
Distaste for crowds	Arati-jana-samsadi
Constancy in Self-knowledge	Adhyatma-jnana-nityatva
Perception of the object of knowledge	Tattva-jnana-artha-darshana

Krishna declares: “This is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance” (13.11) . True knowledge is not information; it is a way of being.

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Part 4: The Knowable (Jneya) – The Supreme Brahman

The Description of the Knowable

Krishna then describes the object of knowledge—the Supreme Brahman—in a series of paradoxes (13.12-17) :

“That which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality—the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is called neither being nor non-being.” (13.12)

“With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, That exists pervading all.” (13.13)

“Shining by the functions of all the senses, yet without the senses; Absolute, yet sustaining all; devoid of Gunas, yet their experiencer.” (13.14)

“Without and within all beings; the unmoving and also the moving; because of Its subtlety incomprehensible; It is far and near.” (13.15)

“Impartible, yet It exists as if divided in beings.” (13.16)

“The Light even of lights, It is said to be beyond darkness; Knowledge, and the One Thing to be known, the Goal of knowledge, dwelling in the hearts of all.” (13.17)

The Sun and the Field

A powerful analogy from later in the chapter (13.33) illustrates the relationship:

“Just as the one sun illumines the whole world, so also the Lord of the field illumines the whole field.”

The sun shines equally on all, but some keep their houses dark by closing the doors. Similarly, Brahman shines equally in all, but ignorance hides this light. The sun is not responsible for what happens in a dark room; we are responsible for closing the shutters.

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Part 5: Prakriti and Purusha – Matter and Spirit

The Two Beginningless Principles

Krishna then introduces the fundamental duality of Prakriti (Nature/Matter) and Purusha (Spirit/Consciousness) (13.19) :

“Know thou that Prakriti and Purusha are both beginningless; and know thou also that all modifications and Gunas are born of Prakriti.”

These terms are the philosophical equivalents of Kshetra and Kshetrajna . Prakriti is the field; Purusha is the knower. Both are beginningless (anadi), meaning they have no causeless cause before them .

Their Respective Roles

Principle	Function
Prakriti	The cause of the body and senses; the source of the three gunas; the material cause of experience
Purusha	The cause of the experience of pleasure and pain; the conscious enjoyer

The text states: “Purusha seated in Prakriti experiences the Gunas born of Prakriti; the reason of his birth in good and evil wombs is his attachment to the Gunas” (13.21) .

The Supreme Purusha

Beyond the individual Purusha is the Supreme Purusha, the Supersoul (13.22) :

“And the Supreme Purusha in this body is also called the Looker-on, the Permitter, the Supporter, the Experiencer, the Great Lord, and the Highest Self.”

This is the Paramatman—the Divine within, who is “the knower in all bodies” (13.3) . Krishna states: “Know Myself to be the Kshetrajna in all Kshetras” .

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Part 6: The Two Knowers – Individual Soul and Supersoul

The Distinction

One of the most important teachings of this chapter is the presence of two knowers in every body :

Knower	Nature	Knowledge
Individual Soul (Jiva)	Limited, conditioned	Knows only its own bodily experiences
Supersoul (Paramatman)	Unlimited, omniscient	Knows all bodies and all fields

As one commentary explains: “I do not know your bodily pains and pleasure, neither you know my bodily pains and pleasure. But Kṛṣṇa says that kṣetrajña, kṣetra-jñaṁ ca api māṁ viddhi: ‘I am also kṣetrajña'” .

The Eye and the Sun

The relationship is like that between the eye and the sun. The eye can see objects but cannot see itself. The sun, however, illumines both the objects and the eye. Similarly, the individual soul can know the field but cannot fully know itself. The Supersoul knows both the field and the knower of the field .

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Part 7: The Paths to Realization

Three Approaches

Krishna concludes the chapter by describing how different seekers attain the Supreme (13.24-25) :

Path	Method
Meditation	Beholding the Self in the self by the purified heart
Knowledge	Through the path of Sankhya (discrimination)
Action	Through Karma Yoga (selfless action)
Faith	Hearing from others and worshipping with faith

“Even these, devoted to what is heard, cross over death” (13.25). The chapter does not insist on a single method but recognizes the validity of multiple paths suited to different temperaments.

The Vision of Unity

The chapter culminates in the vision of unity (13.27-28) :

“He sees the Supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings, the Imperishable in the perishable. For seeing the Lord dwelling alike everywhere, one does not destroy himself by himself, and then reaches the highest goal.”

“He sees truly who sees all actions to be wrought by nature alone in every way, and the self likewise to be not the doer.”

This is the liberating vision: the Supreme dwells in all beings, and all actions are performed by Nature, not by the Self.

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Common Questions

Q1: What is the difference between Kshetra and Kshetrajna?
Kshetra is the field—the body, mind, senses, and all objects of experience. Kshetrajna is the knower of the field—the pure consciousness that witnesses it. The field is insentient, mutable, and perishable; the knower is sentient, immutable, and eternal .

Q2: Why is this chapter important for spiritual practice?
Chapter 13 provides the “philosophical scaffolding” for the Gita’s final teachings . It establishes the fundamental distinction between matter and spirit, which is the basis for all subsequent inquiry into the gunas, the Supreme Person, and the divine and demonic natures.

Q3: Are there two souls in the body?
The chapter describes the individual soul (jiva) and the Supersoul (Paramatman) as two knowers in the body . The individual soul knows its own field; the Supersoul knows all fields. The individual soul is like the tenant; the Supersoul is like the owner.

Q4: What is the significance of the twenty virtues?
Krishna redefines “knowledge” not as information but as character. The twenty virtues are the qualities of one who truly knows. They are the “psychological infrastructure” for ethical living and spiritual realization .

Q5: How does this chapter relate to the rest of the Gita?
Chapter 13 marks a transition from devotional intensity to analytical inquiry . It sets up the final five chapters, where Krishna will explain the three gunas, the Supreme Person, and the ultimate choice between divine and demonic paths.

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Summary

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga, establishes the fundamental distinction between the Field—the body, mind, and all material nature—and the Knower of the Field—the pure consciousness that witnesses it all. Krishna defines knowledge not as intellectual accumulation but as a series of twenty virtues, describes the Supreme Brahman through a series of paradoxes, introduces the duality of Prakriti and Purusha, and reveals the presence of two knowers in every body: the individual soul and the Supersoul. The chapter culminates in the vision of unity—seeing the Supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings and all actions to be wrought by Nature alone. That realization—that you are the eternal knower, never the perishable field—is the gift of Chapter 13 and the foundation of the Gita’s final teaching.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti