200. The Soul Illuminates the Body


Krishna says, "Just as one sun illuminates the entire solar system, the individual soul illuminates the entire body" (13.34). The soul is needed to bring life to the body which is like electricity bringing life to appliances.

The thirteenth chapter of the Gita is titled 'kshetra (field) kshetragna (knower of field) vibhajan yoga' where Krishna clarifies that the physical body is called kshetra whose attributes include ahankaar (I am doer), intellect (buddhi), mind, ten senses, five objects of the senses, desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, skeleton and consciousness (chetana). The knower of kshetra is called kshetragna. 

Krishna mentions about twenty aspects of knowledge and he keeps humility at the beginning indicating that it is a virtue rather than a weakness. Other aspects of knowledge include forgiveness, self-control, dispassion (vairagyam) towards sense objects, absence of ahankaar, non-attachment and eternal equanimity towards desirable and undesirable circumstances. Krishna further explains about the object of this knowledge. One enjoys immortality once one attains 'that' which is to be known. It is neither existent (sat) nor nonexistent (asat) and dwells in the world enveloping all. He gives a path to attain 'that' through meditation (dhyan), awareness, karma or listening to the saints. 

Krishna talks about prakriti (nature) which is responsible for cause and effect; and purush (spirit) who is responsible for the experience of sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain) through subjective interpretation. Both are anaadi (beginning less). 

Krishna concludes the thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita and says, "Those who perceive with the eyes of knowledge the difference between the kshetra and the kshetragna, and the process of prakriti moksham (ultimate freedom from nature), attain the param (supreme)"(13.35). This is an assurance from Lord Krishna that one reaches the eternal state once we attain existential understanding of kshetra and kshetragna.

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