20011017 Bhagavad-gītā 13.3

The following is a class given by HH Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 17th, 2001 in Melbourne, Australia. The class begins with a reading from the Bhagavad-gītā 13th chapter verse 3.

Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāriṇam
paramānanda mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ tato jayam udīrayet

kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi
sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata
kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ
yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama

Translation: O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.

Purport: While discussing the subject of the body and the knower of the body, the soul and the Supersoul, we shall find three different topics of study: the Lord, the living entity, and matter. In every field of activities, in everybody, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul. Because the Supersoul is the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, “I am also the knower, but I am not the individual knower of the body. I am the superknower. I am present in every body as the Paramātmā, or Supersoul.”

One who studies the subject matter of the field of activity and the knower of the field very minutely, in terms of this Bhagavad-gītā, can attain to knowledge.

The Lord says, “I am the knower of the field of activities in every individual body.” The individual may be the knower of his own body, but he is not in knowledge of other bodies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present as the Supersoul in all bodies, knows everything about all bodies. He knows all the different bodies of all the various species of life. 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.

The body consists of the senses. The Supreme Lord is Hṛṣīkeśa, which means “the controller of the senses.” He is the original controller of the senses, just as the king is the original controller of all the activities of the state; the citizens are secondary controllers. The Lord says, “I am also the knower.” This means that He is the superknower; the individual soul knows only his particular body. In the Vedic literature, it is stated as follows:

kṣetrāṇi hi śarīrāṇi

bījaṁ cāpi śubhāśubhe

tāni vetti sa yogātmā

tataḥ kṣetra-jña ucyate

This body is called the kṣetra, and within it dwells the owner of the body and the Supreme Lord, who knows both the body and the owner of the body. Therefore He is called the knower of all fields. The distinction between the field of activities, the knower of activities, and the supreme knower of activities is described as follows. Perfect knowledge of the constitution of the body, the constitution of the individual soul, and the constitution of the Supersoul is known in terms of Vedic literature as jñāna. That is the opinion of Kṛṣṇa. To understand both the soul and the Supersoul as one yet distinct is knowledge. One who does not understand the field of activity and the knower of activity is not in perfect knowledge. One has to understand the position of prakṛti (nature), puruṣa (the enjoyer of nature) and īśvara (the knower who dominates or controls nature and the individual soul). One should not confuse the three in their different capacities. One should not confuse the painter, the painting and the easel. This material world, which is the field of activities, is nature, and the enjoyer of nature is the living entity, and above them both is the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Vedic language (in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.12), bhoktā bhogyaṁ preritāraṁ ca matvā/ sarvaṁ proktaṁ tri-vidhaṁ brahmam etat. There are three Brahman conceptions: prakṛti is Brahman as the field of activities, and the jīva (individual soul) is also Brahman and is trying to control material nature, and the controller of both of them is also Brahman, but He is the factual controller.

In this chapter it will also be explained that out of the two knowers, one is fallible and the other is infallible. One is superior and the other is subordinate. One who understands the two knowers of the field to be one and the same contradicts the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who states here very clearly, “I am also the knower of the field of activity.” One who misunderstands a rope to be a serpent is not in knowledge. There are different kinds of bodies, and there are different owners of the bodies. Because each individual soul has his individual capacity for lording it over material nature, there are different bodies. But the Supreme also is present in them as the controller. The word ca is significant, for it indicates the total number of bodies. That is the opinion of Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul present in each and everybody apart from the individual soul. And Kṛṣṇa explicitly says here that real knowledge is to know that the Supersoul is the controller of both the field of activities and the finite enjoyer.

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: But, what is the kṣetra? The body...field of activities, the body. The body which is field of activity and what is kṣetrajña? the knower of the field. Who is the knower of the field? Two knowers are there, one is the individual soul, the other is Super soul. What is the difference between individual soul and Super soul? Super soul is the master. What is the individual soul trying to do with the material nature? enjoy the material nature. Raise your hand. Lord it over material nature. Trying to lord it over. Trying to control. 14:09. So, who are the two birds? Husband and wife. ( devotees laughing) Who are the two birds? One is ātmā and the other is Parāmatmā. Which one is the ātmā? The bird who is enjoying the fruits and the other bird is observing. So, is the other bird, the Supersoul very important? Very important, the individual soul to look back. 15:33 Jiva, the individual soul  is also trying to control the material nature. They control the 16:23. That's why, in the Bhagavad-gītā, man or woman are both called purusha. There's a impassive controller, enjoyer. Because everybody in this material world are trying to enjoy the body whether, it is is a male body or a female body, everyone is trying to enjoy the body. You are a 17:04, you are trying to enjoy the body. But, everybody in the world are trying to enjoy or trying to control the material nature. The material nature is very vast and so, it's very difficult to control. But, the actual controller is Kṛṣṇa. daivi hy eṣa guṇa-mayi mama māyā duratyayā mam eva ye prapadyante māyām etām taranti te. This material nature is My potency, very difficult to overcome it. But, those who surrender unto Me, I cross them over. So, the individual souls were locked into this material body and only conscious about our particular body. Only the knower of our field, namely, the body. If an insect bites me, I feel, someone else, they 18:38. The insect bites me and I won't feel it. (devotees laugh) You'll feel it. But, the condition 18:48 this is creator, this is the knower of the field. Watch out! 18:58 (devotees laugh) So, we don't know what the other person is feeling in their particular body. But, Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supersoul in everbody, actually, all of us.That's why the Supreme Lord, He knows what we are thinking, what we are doing. Not only in our particular body, but, the animal body, cats, dogs, rats, He is inside of everybody. Such a lot of 19:45. Because, we don't know what is going on in a particular field. That's why, the Supreme Lord knows what somebody else is thinking. Individual soul knows only his particular body. But, we only want to become the Lord Himself. But, Kṛṣṇa knows the body. Everyone knows the owner of the body, the 20:54. But, Kṛṣṇa might be knowing the bodies, this body, that body and the topic was how to experience spiritual bliss. I explained to them that there is the self is described outside the Vedas as the 21:46. Then, finally, there's the 21:54 or the spirit soul and how there's physical happiness or something, mental happiness 22:09 spiritual. Sometimes, someone may feel, within to be happy. Maybe there's something nice to eat. But, if, one is mentally feeling an anxiety because of something, a lot more of a trick, Kṛṣṇa 22:37. You might lose your appetite. (devotees laugh) and you won't be able to enjoy the good food there. It's like, they are, kind of mentally 23:00. So, if someone may be 23:17. What people don't understand, when there is happiness that directly comes from the 23:25 from the spiritual platform. That happiness is something categorically different. Whatever happiness comes from the, it's also means attached to something. But, then, when you are good then, you are so attached. If you are hand is not big, maybe, you are afraid of those who give. So, in the material world, there is suffering and joy. There's enjoyment and one side... śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. So, sukha and duḥkha, is like the changing weather. Most likely, they have a changing weather, spring to summer to fall to winter, back to spring. But, India, they have 3 seasons 24:38. They have the 24:44 season and they have also rainy season 24:53. Then, we have spring, summer, rainy, fog, winter. When we don't want, just like, you can experience all the seasons in one day (devotees laughing) so that people when they get the opportunity 25:20. So, life is something like that. We think everything is going alright, different things change and then, we suffer. Sometimes, we are totally hopeless, we see there is no hope, everything is changed, it's not so bad. Use that nature around that material head, there's always a attraction. There's spiritual happiness which is eternal, ecstatic. So, maybe now in this particular body, we don't know how long we are going to be in this body. It can be of this body or we get a new body. That you are going to be controlling in a particular body. If you feel. But, some are made by their pious activities, they can be elevated to become a deva, like Indra and so or if someone becomes a very irresponsible, they may be given a body of a dog, a cat or other animals. They get elephant body. So, the body wants to lord it over material nature, therefore, given a material body to lord it over. But, we don't want to lord it over the material nature, we want to serve Kṛṣṇa. 28:21then, you should get a spiritual body... Kṛṣṇa, you gave up. Material body is always going to be for those who want to lord it over material nature. There'll be a over eternal position to lord it over material nature. That's like a vision you get. We are locked up in a material prison in this body and then, we are in struggle to control it. and we get another body. Your body has this desire to enjoy the material nature, trying to control it. We don't need a material body, we go back to Kṛṣṇa. So, the Lord Caitanya recommended, we can engage ourselves in their life. It's called as yukta-vairāgya. If you take this material energy and use it for Kṛṣṇa, engage everything in Kṛṣṇa's service, that's yukta, in yukta. That's avery natural way of renunciation. Hare Kṛṣṇa, stop our activities.. stop the activity. You will by get the whole world. For this particular activity that the step offer them to Kṛṣṇa. Engaging your thoughts, your words, your activities, your house, your family, your car, your kitchen to Kṛṣṇa. There is not to be given out. Engage your body in Kṛṣṇa's service. Anything to please Kṛṣṇa. So, the same is here 31:06 sometimes, you want to cut down a tree. 31:13. The egg candle is made from the tree. Right! So, the cut out is illusion and whatever we are trying to enjoy this body. If we use the body to serve Kṛṣṇa, then everything gets transformed, like the whole situation. You are controlling the body. You are controlling it in Kṛṣṇa's service. We are trying to control our material enjoyment. So, use that body in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then, the natural happiness that comes from those different activities, but, somehow, material activities. So, it's not meant to be.  We know that we are not these material bodies with one period of time. So, engaging our body in Kṛṣṇa's service. Body consists of the senses, the Supreme Lord is Hṛṣīkeśa which means controller of the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate... the creation of the senses in the service of owner of the senses, that's called bhakti. They are filled with devotion. The other forms of yoga, but Lord Caitanya, He would particularly, started the renunciation, called it markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa means monkey. Monkey renunciation. Monkeys look very austere. He is very very, you know. They live in the jungle 34:12. So, monkeys are not, they just look like they are renounced but quite enjoyable. So, there's no  just looking austere. Externally looking very austere but internally having a desire. One should have the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. So, Kṛṣṇa, He is, which is the controller of our body, He is the knower of our body, we should try to serve Him. Then, we try to please Him. In Bhakti-yoga, we practice some kind of external process for bringing internal change of consciousness. If there is no directly. Lord Kṛṣṇa, we are going to the very root of our own existence. You can't fool Kṛṣṇa. He knows everything. He is aware. Remember, we are not very advanced in everything. Others can say that and try to get out. Trying our best.  Trying to cheat Kṛṣṇa, put on a show but we can't cheat Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!