The fifty-seventh in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India’s most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.
In this talk, starting with Chapter 13:01, Swamiji discusses Purusha and Prakriti, the Knower of the Field and the Field, of Sankhya philosophy. He tells what the Purusha is and Prakriti, both cosmic and immanent (the body as the field.)
Here are the Gita verses (13:01–13:06) covered in this talk:
Arjuna said:
Prakriti and Purusha, the Field and the Knower of the Field, knowledge, and that which should be known–I wish to know this, O Krishna.
The Holy Lord said:
This body is called the Field, and he who knows this is called the Knower of the Field–so say the knowers of these things. (13:1)
And know me also to be the Knower of the Field in all fields. The knowledge of the Field and the Knower of the Field I consider to be the knowledge. (13:2)
The Field–what it is and of what kind, what its modifications are, whence they come and what are the Knower’s powers, that hear from me in brief. (13:3)
This has been sung many times by the rishis in many sacred chants, in passages about Brahman, full of convincing reasoning. (13:4)
The great elements, the consciousness of “I,” intellect and the unmanifest, the ten senses and one, and the five fields of actions of the senses, (13:5)
Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the whole organism, consciousness, stability–thus is the Field briefly described, and its aspects. (13:6)
Here’s a summary of Swamiji’s talk on The Field and Its Knower:
- Introduction to Chapter 13: This talk begins a new chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, titled “The Distinction Between the Field and the Knower of the Field” (Kshetra and Kshetrajna), exploring the nature of the world (field) and the consciousness that perceives it (knower).
- Definition of the Field (Kshetra): The “field” refers to the entire cosmos—ranging from our immediate surroundings to the global, solar, and universal expanse. It’s the environment we’re “plopped down” into, encompassing all of creation and its constant change, represented by Prakriti (Divine Energy).
- Definition of the Knower (Kshetrajna): The “knower” is Purusha, the spirit or consciousness that experiences the field. It’s the eternal awareness within us, distinct from the shifting energy of Prakriti, and includes both the individual soul and the infinite spirit (God).
- False Identification: People often misidentify with things that aren’t their true selves (e.g., emotions, bodies, roles), like moviegoers who get emotionally absorbed in a film despite its unreality. The first step to self-knowledge is recognizing what we are not.
- Prakriti and Purusha Relationship: Prakriti is the ever-changing energy forming the world (like waves on an ocean), while Purusha is the stable consciousness witnessing it. The talk questions how these two come together and why the conscious being often forgets its true nature, becoming lost in the field.
- The Body as the Field: Krishna explains that the body is a “field” where we sow karmic seeds through actions. These seeds shape our experiences, making us both the sower and the field itself, while the knower (consciousness) observes this process.
- God as the Universal Knower: Krishna reveals that he is the “knower of the field in all fields,” meaning God’s consciousness permeates everything—every being, blade of grass, and cell—experiencing all without identifying with it, unlike humans who get attached.
- Knowledge as Understanding Both: True knowledge, says Krishna, is perceiving both the field (the world) and its knower (consciousness/God). This involves understanding the world’s changes, their source, and our power to navigate them, distinguishing between the transient and the eternal.
- The Role of Intuition and Reason: The sages (Rishis) who “see” reality convey this wisdom through sacred chants like the Vedas. While intuition provides leaps of insight, true dharma (spiritual truth) is ultimately logical and reasonable, supported by books like Sadhana Dharma praised in the talk.
- Components of the Field: The field includes the great elements ( mahabhutas, building blocks of existence), ego (sense of “I”), intellect (reasoning capacity), the unmanifest (intuitable realities), senses (beyond just five, including imagination), and qualities like desire, aversion, pleasure, and pain—all of which shape our experience but aren’t our true self.
The next talk will continue exploring these concepts (e.g., absence of pride). Swamiji mixes scriptural exegesis with anecdotes (e.g., Mark Twain’s return to Hannibal) to illustrate how we repeatedly face “the same damn fool stuff” across lives, urging listeners to discern the field from its knower for spiritual awakening.
