CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND

CONSCIOUSNESS.

VERSE 13.1,2:-
adanti caikaà phalam asya gådhrä
gräme-carä ekam araëya-väsäù
haàsä ya ekaà bahu-rüpam ijyair
mäyä-mayaà veda sa veda vedam

 Those lusty after material enjoyment and

dedicated to family life enjoy one of the
tree’s fruits, and swanlike men in the
renounced order of life enjoy the other
fruit. One who with the help of the bona
fide spiritual masters can understand this
tree to be a manifestation of the potency of
the one Supreme Truth appearing in many
forms actually knows the meaning of the
Vedic literature. SB 11.12.23.
CCP:-

 Terms are verbal and the concepts are

intellectual.
 Here in the 13th chapter Arjuna wanted to
know certain terms.
 The questions in the gita may not be related
exactly to the previous chapter as it is the
dialogue.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 Krishna will answer the questions of the
Arjuna in this chapter.
 Resention- different rendition of the
manuscript.
 There is error due to it was being copied
the humans.
 If scriptures are preserved, commented then
the originality is maintained.
 Scriptures are not just the manuscript but
the living wisdom in the heart of the
practitioner.
 BG is one of the most stable scripture in
terms of the preserving the originality.
 In some version the 1st verse is not there,
but it doesn’t make the difference.
 Krishna wants to clarify further concepts to
show him superiority of the bhakti over the
jnana.
 Sakhya-analysis of the material nature helps
to detach from it and go beyond the matter.
 Ksetra – is the part of the prakriti,ksetra
is the area of the influence.
 Ksetra interaction in the human is more
involved for the metaphysical quest.
 Brain is like the gazetory needs evolved
consciousness to use it.
 Ksetra of the human being has the more
capacity to understand the spiritual
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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things,as the covering of the lust and other
contamination over the soul is less as
compared to the other species.
LINK:- tells who exactly that ksetrajna
is,describes the two ksetrajna.
VERSE 13.3:-
kñeträëi hi çaréräëi béjaà cäpi çubhäçubhe
täni vetti sa yogätmä tataù kñetrajïa ucyate

 The Supreme Lord, yogätmä, knows these

bodies as fields and as the source of piety
and sin. He is called the knower of the
field. Mahäbhärata 12.339.6.
påthag ätmänaà preritäraà ca matvä
juñöas tatas tenämåtatvam eti

 Knowing himself to be different from He who

inspires actions, invoking the pleasure of
the Lord, that person attains liberation.
Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 1.6
 jïäjïau dväv ajäv éçänéçänäv ajä hy ekä
bhoktå-bhogärtha-yuktä
 One is omniscient, the other ignorant. One
is the controller, the other is controlled.
Both are without birth. The unborn prakåti
is associated with the jéva for his
enjoyment. Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 1.9
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
kñaraà pradhänam amåtäkñaraà haraù
kñarätmänäv éçate deva ekaù

 The pradhäna is mutable. The jéva (hara—

taker of prakåti) is immutable, being
eternal. The one Lord controls the pradhäna
and the jéva. Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 1.10
bhoktä bhogyaà preritäraà ca matvä
sarvaà proktaà trividhaà brahmam etat

 This brahman has been described as three:

the enjoyer, the object of enjoyment and the
inspirer. Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 1.12
ajäm ekäm lohita-çukla-kåñëäà
bahvéù prajäù såjamänäà sarüpäù
ajo hy eko juñamäëo’nuçete
jahäty enäà bhukta-bhogäà ajo’nyaù

 The unborn is situated with the one unborn

prakåti which is red, white and black and
which produces many entities of similar
form. One jéva enjoys and associates closely
with those forms, while another jéva, having
enjoyed, gives up those objects of
enjoyment. Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 4.5
pradhäna-kñetrajïa-patir guëeçaù
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 He is the master of matter and jéva, endowed
with all good qualities. Çvetäçvatara
Upaniñad 6.16
 If the Lord is in ignorance how can He
teach? If he is beyond duality, then He has
no other object to whom He can teach.] One
should consult the commentary on dehino’smin
(BG 2.13) for the explanation.
CCP:-

 Krishna is the absolute truth so what he

speaks is the ultimate reality-matam mama.
 Knowledge of the matter and the soul,
supersoul is the knowledge.
 Mayavadi interpret that the ksetrajna and
the lord are the same, but we don’t know
about all the bodies, we don’t know
everything happening in the all the bodies.
 Krishna says that ‘ca’ that is also that
means he different from the individual
knower.
 Example of the painting- lord is the
painter, canvass is the material nature and
the painting is the living entity, example
is not to the point as it doesn’t
incorporates the free will of the living
entity .
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Cit is the original consciousness and the
citta is the consciousness rooted in the
matter.
 Vyasti – from individual to universal,
samasti-from universal to the individual,
these two are the ways to understand the
nature reality.
 Just we are the knower the supreme lord is
the supreme knower.
 Kosa-objective level of god energy and the
subjective level of the individual
realization.
 Citizenship is the objective reality but it
also has the subjective acceptance.
 These five kosas are both subjective and the
objective.
 Anna maya- life is for eating, for the baby
everything is the food.baby defines
everything in terms of the food.
 Anna maya kosa is one level of
consciousness.
 Prana maya kosa- seeing things in terms of
survival,animal being afraid of the
predator,understands ones existence and
tries to protect the existence.
 Jnana maya kosa- becoming more aware of ones
thoughts,self awareness.thinking about the
thinking .
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Vijyana maya kosa-knows soul to be the basis
of many activity.
 Anand maya kosa- becoming aware of the
lords presense.
VERSE 13.4:-
CCP:-

 This chapter is considered quite

philosophical and the some sections are
difficult to comprehend.
 This verse is the summary verse of what is
going to come in the chapter-13.4 summary
verse.
 Equating the jiva with the supreme lord is
like equating the potent with the impotent.
VERSE 13.5:-

 The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa,

is the highest authority in explaining this
knowledge. Still, as a matter of course,
learned scholars and standard authorities
always give evidence from previous
authorities.
 The Taittiréya Upaniñad, for example, which
is a branch of the Yajur Veda, describes
nature, the living entity and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 there are five stages of Brahman
realization, which are called brahma
puccham. Out of these, the first three—anna-
maya, präëa-maya and jïäna-maya—involve the
fields of activities of the living entities.
 Transcendental to all these fields of
activities is the Supreme Lord, who is
called änanda-maya. The Vedänta-sütra also
describes the Supreme by saying, änanda-mayo
'bhyäsät: the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is by nature full of joy. To enjoy His
transcendental bliss, He expands into
vijïäna-maya, präëa-maya, jïäna-maya and
anna-maya.
 na viyad açruteù (2.3.2), nätmä çruteù
(2.3.18), and parät tu tac-chruteù (2.3.40).
The first aphorism indicates the field of
activities, the second indicates the living
entity, and the third indicates the Supreme
Lord, the summum bonum among all the
manifestations of various entities.

CCP:-

 vedant is the conclusion among the vedic

literature.
 Brahma sutra is largely based on the logic.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Significant here is that the Krishna is
himself giving the reference.
 Upanishad talks about the ultimate reality.
 Five kosas is the level at which the Brahman
is manifested.
VERSE 13.6, 7:-

 Krishna is describing the ksetra,here.

CCP:-

 Consciousness is also here described as the

change of the ksetra, as it is talking about
the consciousness projected in the matter,
not the original consciousness, like the
person watching the movie.
 This is the condensed description of the
Sankhya.
 Theistic Sankhya is that the from the
analysis of the element one should turn to
the lord.
 Even the analysis of the sankhya leads to
the bhakti as the ultimate process and the
bhagavan as the ultimate reality.
 This is rare to combine the five verses to
give the commentary as they all are having
the same theme.
 LINK:- now Krishna will talk about jnana.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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VERSE 13.8-12:-

 Of all the descriptions of the process of

knowledge, the most important point is
described in the first line of the eleventh
verse. Mayi cänanya-yogena bhaktir
avyabhicäriëé: the process of knowledge
terminates in unalloyed devotional service
to the Lord.
 if one does not approach, or is not able to
approach, the transcendental service of the
Lord, then the other nineteen items are of
no particular value. But if one takes to
devotional service in full Kåñëa
consciousness, the other nineteen items
automatically develop within him.
 Transcendental life begins when one accepts
a bona fide spiritual master.
 Humility means that one should not be
anxious to have the satisfaction of being
honored by others.
 unless one elevates people to spiritual
knowledge, one is practicing violence.
 Tolerance means that one should be practiced
to bear insult and dishonor from others.
 Simplicity means that without diplomacy one
should be so straightforward that he can
disclose the real truth even to an enemy.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 a bona fide spiritual master is a
representative of Kåñëa, if he bestows any
blessings upon his disciple, that will make
the disciple immediately advanced without
the disciple's following the regulative
principles. Or, the regulative principles
will be easier for one who has served the
spiritual master without reservation.
 internal cleanliness one has to think of
Kåñëa always and chant Hare Kåñëa, Hare
Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma,
Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. This
process cleans the accumulated dust of past
karma from the mind.
 Steadiness means that one should be very
determined to make progress in spiritual
life.
 self-control means that one should not
accept anything which is detrimental to the
path of spiritual progress.
 If one can control the tongue, then there is
every possibility of controlling the other
senses.
 when the sense of "I am" is applied to this
false body it is false ego.
 Unless we have a pessimistic view of this
material life, considering the distresses of
birth, death, old age and disease, there is
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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no impetus for our making advancement in
spiritual life.
 One must sacrifice everything to realize or
serve Kåñëa,
 Happiness and distress are concomitant
factors of material life. One should learn
to tolerate.
 Generally, when we get something desirable
we are very happy, and when we get something
undesirable we are distressed. But if we are
actually in the spiritual position these
things will not agitate us.
 To reach that stage, we have to practice
unbreakable devotional service.
çaucaà ca dvividhaà proktaà bähyam abhyantaraà
tathä
måj-jaläbhyäà småtaà bähyaà bhäva-çuddhis
tathäntaram

 There are two types of cleanliness

described, internal and external. External
cleanliness is by water and earth. Internal
cleanliness is purity of mind. [Note: There
is a similar verse in Çandilya Upaniñad:
çaucaà näma dvividhaà bähyam äntaraà ceti
tatra måj jaläbhyäà bähyam manaù çuddhir
äntaram]
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 jïäëa means “that by which something is
known.
CCP:-

 Amanitvam – not becoming proud when we the

reason to become proud, millionaire but
telling as the billionaire.
 Adambhitvam- not becoming proud when we
don’t have the reason to become proud,
saying billionaire when not.
 Those who aim to look big end up becoming
small.
 Devotee doesn’t claim to know the Krishna as
there is no end to know Krishna.
 Even for the spiritual knowledge we should
not be proud what to speak about the
material knowledge.
 Krishna defines the knowledge in terms of
the virtue, only technical knowledge is
important as it doesn’t make the character
of the person.
 Humanity talks about the finer aspect of the
human being,science talks about utilizing
the nature for our use.
 Most important element is the unalloyed
devotion to the lord.
 Even the jnana has to practice the bhakti to
get the realization.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Perceiving the misery is like perceiving the
tip of the iceberg.
 Redirection of the matter to the spirit will
lead to the development of these qualities.
 Knowing that the we don’t have the qualities
is like knowing the disease but taking to
the bhakti is the real solution.
 A devotee accepts the respect but not expect
the respect.
 A devotee is concerned with the service not
the respect.
 By practicing the devotional service these
qualities will come but the devotee should
also try to imbibe them.
 Tolerance is not impotence but persistence.
 One should be strongly connected with the
devotees that will act as the propeller is
the devotional service.
 Denying reality is not pessimism but
stupidism.
 When we accept the reality but without the
solution then it is pessimism, when one has
the disease then he has to accept it.
 Taking care of the family also means taking
care emotionally also.
 Unless the family atmosphere is entirely
pratikul one should not be insensitive.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 When we care the person we should care him
as a whole.
 We have to take care of the body; mind and
the soul can’t separate the body from the
soul.
 Emphasis on detachment can lead to
irresponsibility, detachment is not the
irresponsibility.
 One has to be affectionate but not attached.
 When the horizontal relationship is obstacle
to the vertical relationship then only we
can cut off the horizontal relationship.
 We have to have the priority in the life.
 Within the devotional circle one has to have
the relationship centered on the Krishna.
 Thinking oneself god is the highest form of
arrogance.
LINK; - Krishna is now describing jneya.
VERSE 13.13:-

 na jäyate mriyate vä vipaçcit (Kaöha

Upaniñad 1.2.18). The knower of the body is
never born and never dies, and he is full of
knowledge.
 The Supreme Lord as the Supersoul is also
stated in the Vedic literature (Çvetäçvatara
Upaniñad 6.16) to be pradhäna-kñetrajïa-
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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patir guëeçaù, the chief knower of the body
and the master of the three modes of
material nature.
 Jéva is called brahman because it is endowed
with the eight great (båhat) qualities.
 Effect or sat means possessing individual
name and form in the material world. Cause
or asat means devoid of name and form, the
state after destruction or before creation.
CCP:-

 Krishna is making the transition from the

jnana to the jneya.
 Ultimately the final object to be known is
the absolute truth.
 Looking outwards towards the matter lead to
the materialism and the naturalistic
conclusion.
 Looking inwards we are directed by the mind,
we are listening to the mind.
 Looking upwards, revelation helps to make
the sense of what we are observing in
outwards and the inwards.
 Jneyam can be known in various ways.
 Amrit here is not the celestial nector, but
the eternal, spiritual bliss.
 Brahma can refer to the atma, brahma,
paramatma.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 Different Acharyas take the different
meaning for the brahma; Prabhupad is taking
brahma to be Brahman.
VERSE 13.14:-
CCP:-

 All pervading refers to the Brahman but the

presence of the hands, feets and the eyes.
 We can’t have the vision of the advanced
devotees, they can see the lord everywhere,
and Krishna here is talking about the
paramatma aspect.
VERSE 13.15:-
apäëi-pädo javano grahétä paçyaty acakñuù sa
çåëoty akarëaù.

 Without hands and feet He moves and

receives. Without eyes He sees. Without ears
He hears. Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 3.1
 The six qualities of Bhagavän are defined as
follows. Aiçvarya means the Lord’s natural
control of everything. Vérya is refers to
the Lord’s inconceivable potencies, by which
he manifests jéva and prakåti and expands as
unlimited avatäras. Yaçaù refers to the
Lord’s ocean of good qualities relating to
body, mind and speech. Çré refers to the
Lord’s eternal, beautiful, youthful body.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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Jïäna refers to the Lord’s omniscience.
Vairägya refers to the Lord’s detachment
from all material affairs.
CCP:-

 Absolute truth is the reservoir of the all

contradictory qualities.
 We can understand the lord to some extent as
we progress in the bhakti,but never can the
understanding be complete.
VERSE 13.16:-

 in the Vedic language it is said that to

understand Him our material mind and senses
cannot act. But one who has purified his
mind and senses by practicing Kåñëa
consciousness in devotional service can see
Him constantly.
dürät sudüre tad ihäntike ca paçyatsv ihaiva
nihitaà guhäyäm

 He is further than far, and very close. In

the body He is situated in the heart, in
those who see. Muëòaka Upaniñad 3.1.7
antar bahiç ca tat sarvaà vyäpya näräyaëaù
sthitaù

 Näräyaëa is spread within and outside of

everything. Mahä Näräyaëa Upaniñad 13.5
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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äséno düraà vrajati çayäno yäti sarvataù

 Though sitting He goes far away, and though

lying down He goes everywhere. Kaöha
Upaniñad 1.2.21
CCP:-

 Although the section for the jneya lord is

saying that the absolute truth is
inconceivable being the subtle most.
 Super soul is inside us as the Ksirodaksayi
Vishnu and outside as the Mahavishnu,alos
this can be understood as the glorification
of the lord for being the inconceivable.
VERSE 13.17:-

 though He is one, He appears as many: eko’pi

san bahudhä yo vibhäti. (Gopäla Täpané
Upaniñad).
eka eva paro viñëuù sarvaträpi na saàçayaù
aiçvaryäd rüpam ekaà ca süryavad bahudheyate

 The one Viñëu is situated everywhere without

doubt. Like the sun, He makes the one form
become many by His powers. Matsya Puräëa
yato vä imäni bhütäni jäyante yena jätäni
jévanti yat prayanty abhisaàviçanti tad brahma
tad vijijïäsasva
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 You should know that brahman from which all
entities arise, by which those who took
birth live, and towards which they move and
enter. Taittiréya Upaniñad 3.1.1
CCP:-

 Supersoul in everyone’s heart although

appear different but they are same. Like the
reflections of the same sun /moon.
 Time causes the creation, maintenance and
the destruction.
VERSE 13.18:-

 Äditya—varëaà tamasaù parastät (Çvetäçvatara

Upaniñad 3.8). He is just like the sun,
eternally luminous, but He is far, far
beyond the darkness of this material world.
 tam eva viditväti måtyum eti. "Only by
knowing Him can one surpass the boundary of
birth and death." (Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad
3.8)
yena suryah tapati tejasendhah

 By His power the sun burns. Taittiréya

Brähmaëa 3.12.9.7, 5
na tatra süryo bhäti na candra-tärakaà
nemä vidyuto bhänti kuto’yam agniù
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tad eva bhäntam anubhäti sarvaà

 There, the sun does not shine, nor do the

moon or stars. There, lightning does not
flash, what to speak of fire. Everything
shines in obedience to He who shines. Kaöha
Upaniñad 2.5.15
aditya varëaà tamasaù parastät

 He is like the sun, beyond ignorance.

Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 3.8
 vijïänam änanda-ghanaà brahma: brahman is
knowledge and condensed bliss. (Båhad
Äraëyaka Upaniñad 3.9.28).
 says antaù-praviñöaù çästä janänäm: He has
entered within, and is the controller of all
men. (Taittiréya Äraëyaka 3.11.10)
 One should not say that the verses starting
from verse 13 refer to the jéva because that
has been the topic before that. They refer
to the Supreme Lord, because the topic is
also the Lord as a knower of the field, like
the jéva. “Everywhere are His hands and
feet” must refer to the Lord, because the
same subject refers only to the Lord in the
Çvetäçvatara and other Upaniñads. This also
follows the style of mixing topics (jéva and
éçvara) commonly seen in the Upaniñaòs.
CCP:-
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 He is situated in the heart of the all
living entities means it is referring about
the supersoul.
 Jneya – atma, paramatma and the loving
relationship within them which gives the
liberation.
 Knowledge which doesn’t connect with the
lord is the fractured knowledge.
LINK: - Krishna gives the conclusion of the
section.
VERSE 13.19:-
CCP:-

 One can know this knowledge by the bhakti

not by the mental speculation.
 Although this verse is in the jnana section
it clearly refers to the bhakti directly.
 By practicing the bhakti jnana will come
automatically,in due course of the time.
LINK:- now prakriti and purusa will be
addressed.
VERSE 13.20:-

 differing functions of prakåti and the jéva

in combination, and the cause of their
beginningless association will be described.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Know that the body and senses (vikärän) and
happiness and distress (guëän) arise from
prakåti, not from the jéva. The Lord
indicates that jéva is different from the
transformations of prakåti as the field.
 Know that the body, senses and other
elements (guëän) and the transformations of
the guëas such as happiness, distress,
lamentation and illusion (vikärän), all
arise from prakåti. Know that the jéva is
very different from that prakåti which has
transformed into the field.
CCP:-

 Both the prakriti and the jiva both are

eternal and the changes are arising from the
prakriti.
 Sankhya and the jnana are quite related,
jnana uses the analysis of the Sankhya very
extensively.
 Prakriti is not conscious active but the
jiva is conscious active.
 Krishna here is focusing on the concepts not
on the persons,so not talking about the Siva
and the parvati.
 Prakriti is eternal only the form may be
temporary.
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 Misery is due to attachment to the form,
things which are material but they are going
to change, so happiness can only be when one
focuses on the spirit which eternal.
 Everything is coming from the three modes;
they are like the basic colors and creating
the various illusions.
LINK:- who experiencing the emotions and how.
VERSE 13.21:-

 Prakåti is said to be the cause,

instrumental in producing the body and
senses.
 The jéva is said to be the cause, being the
enjoyer of happiness and distress.
 material happiness and distress are due to
his body, and not to himself as he is.
 Law of nature- once placed in the particular
body one has to act according to that body.
 it is said that prakåti is the cause, by
producing the body, sense and sense devatäs,
and jéva is the cause by his capacity to
experience happiness and distress.
 The jéva is the cause in the sense of being
the enjoyer of happiness and distress which
are offered by prakåti.
 Since prakåti is the agent in regards to
production of the body and senses, but is
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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itself exploited by the jéva, the jéva is
the main cause or doer.
 kartä çästrärthavattvät:: the soul is the
agent, not prakåti, since that is the
meaning of the scriptures. (Vedänta Sütra
2.3.31)
CCP:-

 For the cause and the effect the Material

nature is the cause but for the enjoyment
the jiva is the cause.
 A person is responsible for the happiness
and the distress after watching the movie as
that was his desire to watch the movie.
 Irrespective of what is happening in the
material nature we should not be affected
but we are affected due to enjoying
mentality.
 Prakriti is the substratum for everything
that happens.
LINK:- mahavakya/ bij vakya of the BG, Krishna
elaborating further the bhoktrutve.
VERSE 13.22:-

 Though the jéva is by nature knowledge and

bliss, it is situated in prakåti due to
impressions of beginningless karma.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 The cause of the association is explained.
The cause is beginningless desire for
objects made of the guëas (guëa saìgaù).
 vijïänaà yajïaà tanute karmäëi tanute’pi ca:
the jéva accomplishes knowledge, sacrifice
and action. (Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.5)
 Çruti also says: eña hi drañöä sprañöä
çrotä rasayitä ghrätä mantä boddhä kartä
vijïänätmä puruñaù: the conscious ätmä alone
is the seer, toucher, hearer, taster,
smeller, thinker, knower, and agent. (Praçna
Upaniñad 4.9)
 Others say that prakåti is said to be the
agent in actions like sacrifice or war for
the jéva attached to body and senses made of
prakåti, whereas prakåti is not the agent
for the pure jéva without attachment to body
and senses.
CCP:-

 Soul becomes situated in the material nature

due to desire to enjoy the modes born of the
material nature.
 Basic components are enjoyable but the
combination is very much attractive, then
one wants to enjoy then lead to birth in the
high or low species.
 This verse is explained in the 14.14.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 Depending on the way we are associating with
the modes we will get the corresponding
species and enjoy or suffer.
 Bhoktrutve leads to happiness and the
suffering or the different species.
 As long as bhunkte is there then one will
have to move in the material world.
 As one reduces the desire to enjoy material
nature one starts to enjoy the spiritual
happiness.
 The whole tree of the material existence
sprouts from the seed of the desire to
enjoy.
 Water nourishing the tree are the modes,
tree described in the 15th chapter also how
to cut off the tree by the weapon of the
detachment is described therein, the 16th
chapter the upper and the lower part of the
tree are described,17th chapter describes the
middle part of the tree and summary of the
everything is given in the 18th chapter.
LINK:- now Krishna will talk about the another
purusa.
VERSE 13.23:-

 sakñi cetaù kevalo nirguëaç ca: He is the

witness, the consciousness, pure, beyond the
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
material guëas. (Gopäla Täpané Upaniñad
2.96)
 He is the ruler of the jéva (bhoktä). [Note:
Bhoktä means enjoyer but also a ruler, who
enjoys a kingdom.]
CCP:-

 Here it is the 1st time lord is explaining

the paramatma. Although the word paramatma
is used multiple times in the BG.
 The quality lord is explaining doesn’t apply
to the individual soul but to the supersoul
only.
 Lord has spoken about the two purusas one is
prakritostha and other is maheshwar, so
there is clear difference in them.
 Krishna has informed the oneness of himself
and the paramatma in the 6th chapter, 15.15
identities of the lord and the supersoul,
and 18.61 guides to the jiva.
 Here Krishna is talking about the analytical
difference in the two purusas one is under
the material nature and one is controller of
the material nature.

LINK: - another summary verse Krishna is telling

the importance of knowing all this.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
VERSE 13.24:-

 He who knows Paramätmä (puruñam), prakåti or

mäyä-çakti (along with its qualities), and
the jéva (indicated only by the word ca),
does not take birth again, even though in
this life he may be situated in all sorts of
unfavorable circumstances (sarvataù
vartamäno ’pi), such as being overcome by
sleep and having uncontrolled mind or other
such problems.
CCP:-

 One who understands the jiva, supersoul and

the material nature he will not take birth
again as he will understand that the real
life in the spiritual world is far more
exciting he will strive to attain that.
LINK:- krishna will talk about the means to come
out of the matter.
VERSE 13.25:-

 jïäna-yoga, añöäìga-yoga and niñkäma-karma-

yoga are successive causes of each other and
not direct causes of seeing Paramätmä.
 That is because their nature is sattvic (and
thus the result can only be sattvic) but the
nature of Paramätmä is beyond the guëas.
 jïänaà ca mayi sannyaset
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
 A self-realized person who has cultivated
scriptural knowledge up to the point of
enlightenment and who is free from
impersonal speculation, understanding the
material universe to be simply illusion,
should surrender unto Me both that knowledge
and the means by which he achieved it. SB
11.19.1
 bhakyäham ekayä grähyaù
 Only by practicing unalloyed devotional
service with full faith in Me can one obtain
Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. S
11.14.21
 Thus, after giving up jïäna, indicated in
the first of the verses quoted, becoming
free from jïäna, one sees Paramätmä by
bhakti alone, indicated in the second verse.
CCP:-

 Here atma- self /supersoul /mind.

 One method of perceiving the lord is
meditation- dhyana yoga.
 By Sankhya going beyond the 25 elements one
come to the realization of the supersoul.
 Trying to enamor others by the yogik feats
is childish.
LINK;- Krishna will recommended the bhakti
process through hearing.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
VERSE 13.26:-
CCP:-

 Srutiparayana – dedicated to the hearing/

love hearing here sruti is hearing as
Krishna has talked about going beyond the
sruti.
 Here sruti takes one beyond the birth and
the death so it refers to the hearing
process not to the sruti literature.
 Upasana means it is not just the hearing but
that should lead to the transformation.
 Hearing should lead to the worship of the
lord.
 Even in the jnana section lord is reassuring
that even if one doesn’t know all these
processes but just hear about the lord and
worship him he will transcend the material
world.
 LINK: - here Krishna will give the
integrated view of what all he has spoken in
this chapter till now.
VERSE 13.27:-
CCP:-

 Krishna is telling that the variety of this

world can be reduced down to the
fundamentals- combination of that the matter
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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and the spirit. This helps one to develop
the detachment. To have the equal vision.
LINK: - result of the equal vision.
VERSE 13.28:-
CCP:-

 Here the word parameshwara can refer to the

supreme lord and also to the jiva the
controller of the body.
 Soul is indestructible in the destructible
body it is for the arjuna to not get
affected by the killing of the relatives as
they are eternal.
 By the knowledge one should be able to go
beyond the emotionally induced
misconceptions. By seeing the equality at
the level of the soul.
 Discriminating on the basis of the guru is
also bodily identification.
LINK:- benefits of the equal vision.
VERSE 13.29:-
CCP:-

 Generally the material vision causes us the

problems.
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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 Duryodhana may be acting in the Mahamaya but
vidura need not acting the Mahamaya he saw
it as the lords arrangement.
 Devotional reinterpretation of the events in
the material world is vital for our
advancement.
 We may not be able to understand why the
events are happening in the material world,
but we should understand in the way
favorable to the devotional service.
 There will be problems due to people’s lust,
greed but we have the opportunity to advance
by going deep in these situations.
 Forgiveness is important for ourselves it
will burn us.
 Seeing beyond the matter by developing the
jnana caksu we will be able to transcend the
duality and forgive the offences of others.
 By distinguishing ourselves from the
material nature we will be able to advance.
LINK:- now the focus is shifting from the matter
to the spirit.
VERSE 13.30:-

 Because of desires, one is put into

difficult circumstances to suffer or to
enjoy. This transcendental vision of the
living entity, when developed, makes one
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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separate from bodily activities. One who has
such a vision is an actual seer.
CCP:-

 Seeing beyond the diversity of the

appearance to the substance, such person
attains the Brahman platform, idea is go
beyond the material duality.
VERSE 13.32:-
CCP:-

 Here although word paramatma comes but the

focus is on the soul.
 Being transcendental atma is not entangled.
LINK: - how the atma is not entangled.
VERSE 13.33:-
CCP:-

 Although the sky is present but doesn’t get

affected similarly the soul may be in the
different bodies but it doesn’t get affected
that is not entangled.
VERSE 13.34:-
süryo yathä sarva-lokasya cakñur
na lipyate cäkñuñair bähya-doñaiù
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
CONSCIOUSNESS.
ekas tathä sarva-bhütäntarätmä
na lipyate çoka-duùkhena bähyaù

 Just as the sun is the eye of all people but

is not contaminated by the material faults
of the eyes, so the Paramätmä within all
beings is not contaminated by lamentation
and suffering of the material world. Kaöha
Upaniñad 5.11.
 guëäd vä lokavad: as a flame pervades a room
by its rays, the soul pervades the whole
body by its quality. (Vedänta Sütra 2.3.24)
CCP:-

 Sky doesn’t mixes with the matter and is

detached.
 Detached soul mediated by the supersoul
interacts with the matter.
VERSE 13.35:-
CCP:-
One should know the difference between the
matter and the spirit,which different from the
body then should know the process to get out of
the body.
END OF THE CHAPTER
CHAPTER 13 NATURE, THE ENJOYER AND
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