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Bhagavad
-
gita
As It Is

Chapter 13

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

BCAIS Education

Based on the teachings of His Divine Grace A.C.

Bhaktivedanta
Swami
Prabhupada
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International Society for Krishna Consciousness February November ...

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Bhagavad
-
gita
Module 3: Overview of Chapters 13
-
18

Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Executive Summary:

In
the
first
six
chapters
of
Bhagavad
-
Gita
,
Krsna
discussed
how
karma
-
yoga
,
action
on
the
platform
of
knowledge,
leads
to
bhakti
.
In
the
second
six
chapters,
Krsna
spoke
directly
of
Himself
and
the
glories
of
devotional
service
.
In
the
third
six
chapters,
Krsna
discusses
how
jnana
leads
to
bhakti
.
Starting
with
the
Thirteenth
Chapter,
how
the
living
entity
comes
into
contact
with
material
nature
and
how
he
is
delivered
by
the
Supreme
Lord
through
the
different
methods
of
fruitive
activities,
cultivation
of
knowledge,
and
devotional
service
are
explained
.

The
thirteenth
chapter
of
Bhagavad
-
Gita
is
concerned
with
the
distinction
and
interrelationship
between
the
body,
the
soul
and
the
Supersoul
(
Paramatma
)
.
The
body
is
known
as
ksetra
,
or
the
field
of
activities
for
the
soul,
and
it
consists
of
twenty
-
four
material
elements
.
The
soul
residing
within
the
body
is
known
as
ksetra
-
jna
,
or
"the
knower
of
the
field
of
activities
.
"
The
symptoms
of
life
and
ultimately
all
movement
within
the
material
world
are
due
to
the
interaction
of
the
soul
with
matter
.
Beyond
the
ksetra
-
jna
,
the
individual
knower
of
the
body
(the
soul),
is
the
supreme
ksetra
-
jna
,
the
Supersoul
,
who
is
the
supreme
knower
within
all
bodies
.
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International Society for Krishna Consciousness February November ...

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

KSETRA
AND KSETRAJNA (1
�
7)

In Chapter 12, Verse 7, Krsna has promised to redeem His devotees. To that end, He
will now declare the
knowledge needed to elevate His devotees from the material world. Arjuna asks Krsna
to explain six topics:
prakrti
,
purusa
,
ksetra
,
ksetra
-
jna
,
jnana
, and
jneya
. Krsna explains knowledge of the field of activities and the
knower of the field.

THE PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE (8

Having described knowledge of the field and knower of the field, Krsna now explains
the process of knowledge
beginning with humility and culminating in realization of the Absolute Truth
(verses 8
�
12).

THE OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE (13

In verses 13
-
19 the object of knowledge (
jneyam
), or the soul and
Supersoul
is discussed. Previously, Krsna
explained the soul and
Supersoul
as
ksetra
-
jna
, or knowers of the field. By understanding the difference
between the body, the soul and the
Supersoul
and by following the process of knowledge, the soul can
transcend dualities, realize his eternal subordination to Krsna and attain the
supreme destination.
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Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

PRAKRTI
, PURUSA AND THEIR UNION (20
�
26)

Having described
jneya
as the self and the
Supersoul
, Krsna now explains the soul and
Supersoul
as
purusa
, in
terms of their connection with material nature. One who understands
prakrti
,
purusa
and their interactions
attains liberation from birth in this world. Other methods of understanding the
Supersoul
are
jnana
and
Astanga
-
yoga
.

JNANA
-
CAKSUSA: THE VISION OF KNOWLEDGE (27
�
35)

Those who see the distinction between the body, its owner and the
Supersoul
, and who recognize the process
of liberation, can attain the supreme goal.
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Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Bhagavad
-
gita
(Module 3)
Self
-
study Questions
Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

1.
Give the English meanings of the words
prakrti
,
purusa
, and
jneyam
. (1)

[Link]
: nature

[Link]
: the enjoyer

J
�eyam
: the object of knowledge

2. Give the English meaning of

[Link]
-
j�am
: the knower of the field.

3. Explain the analogy of the citizen and his patch of land. (3)
A citizen may know everything about his patch of land, but the king knows not only
his
palace
but all the
properties possessed by the individual citizens. Similarly, one may be the
proprietor of the body individually,
but the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all bodies. The king is the original
proprietor of the kingdom, and the
citizen is the secondary proprietor. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the supreme
proprietor of all bodies

4. List five levels of brahma

5. List the 11 senses. (6

6. List any four aspects of the

7. What advice is given, by Krishna, to those who are not conversant in spiritual
knowledge? (26)

8. Explain the analogy of how air

International Society for Krishna Consciousness February November ...

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Bhagavad
-
gita
(Module 3)
Self
-
study Questions
Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

4. List five levels of brahma

.
Anna
-
maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is a materialistic realization of
the Supreme.
.
Prana
-
maya, after realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in food, one can realize the
Absolute Truth in the
living symptoms or life forms.
.
Jnana
-
maya, realization extends beyond the living symptoms to the point of thinking,
feeling and willing.
.
Vijnana
-
maya, which is Brahman realization, in which the living entity's mind and life
symptoms are
distinguished from the living entity himself.
.
Ananda
-
may, realization of the all
-
blissful nature which is the supreme stage.
5. List the 11 senses. (6
-
7)

Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, voice, legs, hands, anus, genitals and mind.

6. List any four aspects of the

.
Beginningless
.
Omnipotence
.
O
riginal source of all senses, yet He is without senses
.
Unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings
.
He is never divided
.
He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge
.
He is situated in everyone�s heart
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International Society for Krishna Consciousness February November ...

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Bhagavad
-
gita
(Module 3)
Self
-
study Questions
Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

7. What advice is given, by Krishna, to those who are not conversant in spiritual
knowledge? (26)

.
Faithful hearing from an authoritative person will help one transcend this material
existence and go back to
Godhead.
.
Those who, not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme
Person upon hearing
about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they
also transcend the path of
birth and death.

8. Explain the analogy of how air

The air
enters into
water, mud, stool and whatever else is there; still it does not mix with anything.
Similarly,
the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them
due to his subtle nature.