Bhagavad-gita As It Is
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bg13.13
TEXT 13
jneyam yat tat pravaksyami
yaj jnatvamrtam asnute
anadi mat-param brahma
na sat tan nasad ucyate
jneyam—knowable; yat—that; tat—which; pravaksyami—I shall now explain; yat—which; jnatva—knowing; amrtam—nectar; asnute—taste; anadi—beginningless; mat-param—subordinate to Me; brahma—spirit; na—neither; sat—cause; tat—that; na—nor; asat—effect; ucyate—is called.
TRANSLATION
I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. This is beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.
PURPORT
The Lord has explained the field of activities and the knower of the field. He has also explained the process of knowing the knower of the field of activities. Now He is explaining the knowable, both the soul and the Supersoul respectively. By knowledge of the knower, both the soul and the Supersoul, one can relish the nectar of life. As explained in the Second Chapter, the living entity is eternal. This is also confirmed here. There is no specific date at which the jiva was born. Nor can anyone trace out the history of jivatma’s manifestation from the Supreme Lord. Therefore it is beginningless. The Vedic literature confirms this: na jayate mrjayate va vipascit. The knower of the body is never born and never dies, and he is full of knowledge. The Supreme Lord is also stated in the Vedic literature as pradhana-ksetrajna-patir gunesah. The Supreme Lord as the Supersoul is the chief knower of the body, and He is the master of the three modes of material nature. In the smrti it is said: dasa-bhuto harer eva nanyasvaiva kadacana. The living entities are eternally in the service of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed by Lord Caitanya in His teaching; therefore the description of Brahman mentioned in this verse is in relation to the individual soul, and when the word Brahman is applied to the living entity, it is to be understood that he is vijnanam brahma as opposed to ananta-brahma. Ananta-brahma is the Supreme Brahman Personality of Godhead. Bg13.14 TEXT 14 sarvatah pani-padam tat sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham sarvatah srutimal loke sarvam avrtya tisthati sarvatah—everywhere; pani—hands; padam—legs; tat—that; sarvatah—everywhere; aksi—eyes; sirah—head; mukham—face; sarvatah—everywhere; srutimat—hearing; loke—in the world; sarvam—everywhere, avrtya—covering; tisthati—exists. TRANSLATION Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists. PURPORT As the sun exists diffusing its unlimited rays, so does the Supersoul, or Supreme Personality of Godhead. He exists in His all-pervading form, and in Him exist all the individual living entities, beginning from the first great teacher, Brahma, down to the small ants. There are unlimited heads, legs, hands and eyes, and unlimited living entities. All are existing in and on the Supersoul. Therefore the Supersoul is all-pervading. The individual soul, however, cannot say that he has his hands, legs and eyes everywhere. That is not possible. If he thinks that although under ignorance he is not conscious that his hands and legs are diffused all over, but when he attains to proper knowledge he will come to that stage, his thinking is contradictory. This means that the individual soul, having become conditioned by material nature, is not supreme. The Supreme is different from the individual soul. The Supreme Lord can extend His hand without limit; the individual soul cannot. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that if anyone offers Him a flower, or a fruit, or a little water, He accepts. If the Lord is a far distance away, how can He accept things? This is the omnipotence of the Lord: even though He is situated in His own abode, far, far away from earth, He can extend His hand to accept what anyone offers. That is His potency. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated, goloka eva nivasati: although He is always engaged in pastimes in His transcendental planet, He is all-pervading. The individual soul cannot claim that he is all-pervading. Therefore this verse describes the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead, not the individual soul. Bg13.15 TEXT 15 sarvendriya-gunabhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitam asaktam sarva-bhrc caiva nirgunam guna-bhoktr ca sarve—all; indriya—senses; guna—qualities; abhasam—original source; sarva—all; indriya—senses; vivarjitam—being without; asaktam—without attachment; sarva-bhrt—maintainer of everyone; ca—also; eva—certainly; nirgunam—without material qualities; guna-bhoktr—simultaneously master of the gunas; ca—also. TRANSLATION The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature. PURPORT The Supreme Lord, although the source of all the senses of the living entities, doesn’t have material senses like they have. Actually, the individual souls have spiritual senses, but in condemned life they are covered with the material elements and therefore the sense activities are exhibited through matter. The Supreme Lord’s senses are not so covered. His senses are transcendental and are therefore called nirguna. Guna means the material modes, but His senses are without material covering. It should be understood that His senses are not exactly like ours. Although He is the source of all our sensual activities, He has His transcendental senses which are uncontaminated. This is very nicely explained in the Svetasvatara Upanisad in the verse: sarvatah pani-padam. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no hands which are materially contaminated, but He has His hands and accepts whatever sacrifice is offered to Him. That is the distinction between the conditioned soul and the Supersoul. He has no material eyes, but He has eyes—otherwise how could He see? He sees everything, past, present and future. He lives within the heart of the living being, and He knows what we have done in the past, what we are doing now, and what is awaiting us in the future. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: He knows everything, but no one knows Him. It is said that the Supreme Lord has no legs like us, but He can travel throughout space because He has spiritual legs. In other words, the Lord is not impersonal; He has His eyes, legs, hands and everything else, and because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord we also have these things. But His hands, legs, eyes and senses are not contaminated by material nature. Bhagavad-gita also confirms that when the Lord appears He appears as He is by His internal potency. He is not contaminated by the material energy because He is the Lord of material energy. In the Vedic literature we find that His whole embodiment is spiritual. He has His eternal form called sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. He is full of all opulence. He is the proprietor of all wealth and the owner of all energy. He is the most intelligent and is full of knowledge. These are some of the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is maintainer of all living entities and the witness of all activities. As far as we can understand from Vedic literature, the Supreme Lord is always transcendental. Although we do not see His head, face, hands, or legs, He has them, and when we are elevated to the transcendental situation then we can see the Lord’s form. Due to materially contaminated senses, we cannot see His form. Therefore the impersonalists who are still materially affected cannot understand the Personality of Godhead. Bg13.16 TEXT 16 bahir antas ca bhutanam acaram caram eva ca suksmatvat tad avijneyam dura-stham cantike ca tat bahih—outside; antah—inside; ca—also; bhutanam—of all living entities; acaram—not moving; caram—moving; eva—also; ca—and; suksmatvat—on account of being subtle; tat—that; avijneyam—unknowable; durastham—far away; ca antike—near also; ca—and; tat—that. TRANSLATION The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and nonmoving. He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all. PURPORT In Vedic literature we understand that Narayana, the Supreme Person, is residing both outside and inside of every living entity. He is present both in the spiritual and material world. Although He is far, far away, still He is near to us. These are the statements of Vedic literature. Asino duram vrajati sayano yati sarvatah. And, because He is always engaged in transcendental bliss, we cannot understand how He is enjoying His full opulence. We cannot see or understand with these material senses. Therefore 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 Krsna consciousness in devotional service can see Him constantly. It is confirmed in Brahma-samhita that the devotee who has developed love for the Supreme God can see Him always, without cessation. And it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (11.54) that He can be seen and understood only by devotional service. Bhaktya tvananyaya sakyah. Bg13.17 TEXT 17 avibhaktam ca bhutesu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam bhuta-bhartr ca taj jneyam grasisnu prabhavisnu ca avibhaktam—without division; ca—also; bhutesu—in every living being; vibhaktam—divided; iva—as if; ca—also; sthitam—situated; bhuta-bhartr—maintainer of all living entities; ca—also; tat—that; jneyam—to be understood; grasisnu—devours; prabhavisnu—develops; ca—also. TRANSLATION Although the Supersoul appears to be divided, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all. PURPORT The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. Does that mean that He has become divided? No. Actually, He is one. The example is given of the sun: the sun, at the meridian, is situated in his place. But if one goes for five thousand miles in all directions and asks, “Where is the sun?” everyone will say that it is shining on his head. In the Vedic literature this example is given to show that although He is undivided, He is situated as if divided. Also it is said in Vedic literature that one Visnu is present everywhere by His omnipotence, just as the sun appears in many places to many persons. And the Supreme Lord, although the maintainer of every living entity, devours everything at the time of annihilation. This was confirmed in the Eleventh Chapter when the Lord said that He has come to devour all the warriors assembled at Kuruksetra. He also mentions that in the form of time He devours also. He is the annihilator, the killer of all. When there is creation, He develops all from their original state, and at the time of annihilation He devours them. The Vedic hymns confirm the fact that He is the origin of all living entities and the rest of al1. After creation, everything rests in His omnipotence, and after annihilation, everything again returns to rest in Him. These are the confirmations of Vedic hymns. Yato va imani bhutani jayante yena jatani jivanti yat prayanty abhisamvisanti tad brahma tad vijijnasasva. (Taittiriya Upanisad, 3.1) Bg13.18 TEXT 18 jyotisam api taj jyotis tamasah param ucyate jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam hrdi sarvasya visthitam jyotisam—in all luminous objects; api—also; tat—that; jyotih—source of light; tamasah—of the darkness; param—beyond; ucyate—is said; jnanam—knowledge; jneyam—to be known; jnana-gamyam—to be approached by knowledge; hrdi—in the heart; sarvasya—of everyone; visthitam—situated. TRANSLATION He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart. PURPORT The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of light in all luminous objects like the sun, moon, stars, etc. In the Vedic literature we find that in the spiritual kingdom there is no need of sun or moon because the effulgence of the Supreme Lord is there. In the material world that brahmajyoti the Lord’s spiritual effulgence, is covered by the mahat-tattva, the material elements; therefore in this material world we require the assistance of sun, moon, electricity, etc., for light. But in the spiritual world there is no need of such things. It is clearly stated in the Vedic literature that because of His luminous effulgence, everything is illuminated. It is clear, therefore, that His situation is not in the material world. He is situated in the spiritual world which is far, far away in the spiritual sky. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature. Aditya-varnam tamasah parastat. He is just like the sun, eternally luminous, but He is far, far beyond the darkness of this material world. His knowledge is transcendental. The Vedic literature confirms that Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge. To one who is anxious to be transferred to that spiritual world, knowledge is given by the Supreme Lord who is situated in everyone’s heart. One Vedic mantra says: tam ha devam atma-buddhi-prakasam mumuksur vai saranam aham prapadye. One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation. As far as the goal of ultimate knowledge is concerned, it is also confirmed in Vedic literature: tam eva viditvatimrtyum eti. “Only by knowing You can one surpass the boundary of birth and death.” He is situated in everyone’s heart as the supreme controller. The Supreme has legs and hands distributed everywhere, and this cannot be said of the individual soul. Therefore that there are two knowers of the field of activity, the individual soul and the Supersoul, must be admitted. One’s hands and legs are distributed locally, but Krsna’s hands and legs are distributed everywhere. This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad: sarvasya prabhum isanam sarvasya saranam brhat. That Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul, is the prabhu or master of all living entities; therefore He is the ultimate center of all living entities. So there is no denying the fact that the Supreme Supersoul and the individual soul are always different. Bg13.19 TEXT 19 iti ksetram tatha jnanam jneyam coktam samasatah mad-bhakta etad vijnaya mad-bhavayopapadyate iti—thus; ksetram—field of activities (the body); tatha—also; jnanam—knowledge; jneyam—knowable; ca—also; uktam—describe; samasatah—in summary; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; etat—all this; vijnaya—after understanding; mat-bhavaya—My nature; upapadyate—attains. TRANSLATION Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature. PURPORT The Lord has described in summary the body, knowledge and the knowable. This knowledge is of three things: the knower, the knowable and the process of knowing. Combined, these are called vijnanam, or the science of knowledge. Perfect knowledge can be understood by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord directly. Others are unable to understand. The monists say that at the ultimate stage these three items become one, but the devotees do not accept this. Knowledge and development of knowledge mean understanding oneself in Krsna consciousness. We are being led by material consciousness, but as soon as we transfer all consciousness to Krsna’s activities and realize that Krsna is everything, then we attain real knowledge. In other words, knowledge is nothing but the preliminary stage of understanding devotional service perfectly. Bg13.20 TEXT 20 prakrtim purusam caiva viddhy anadi ubhav api vikarams ca gunams caiva viddhi prakrti-sambhavan prakrtim—material nature; purusam—living entities; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—must know; anadi—without beginning; ubhau—both; api—also; vikaran—transformation; ca—also; gunan—three modes of nature; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—know; prakrti—material nature; sambhavan—produced of. TRANSLATION Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature. PURPORT By this knowledge, the body, the field of activities and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul) can be known. The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature. It is the individual soul which is embodied. Enjoying the activities of the body is the purusa, or the living entity. He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul. Of course, it is to be understood that both the Supersoul and the individual entity are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entity is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion. Both material nature and the living entity are eternal. That is to say that they existed before the creation. The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord and so also are the living entities, but they are of the superior energy. Both of them existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Maha-Visnu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of mahat-tattva. Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are adverse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky. After the winding up of material nature, these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation. Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature. It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place. In the scriptures the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence. But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all the transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature. All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same. Bg13.21 TEXT 21 karya-karana-kartrtve hetuh prakrtir ucyate purusah sukha-duhkhanam bhoktrtve hetur ucyate karya—effect; karana—cause; kartrtve—in the matter of creation; hetuh—instrument; prakrtih—material nature; ucyate—is said to be; purusah—the living entities; sukha—happiness; duhkhanam—of distresses; bhoktrtve—in enjoyment; hetuh—instrument; ucyate—is said to be. TRANSLATION Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world. PURPORT The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are the creation of the material nature. They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the 1iving entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that. When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress. His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state. Because of the desire to lord it over material nature, he is in the material world. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. The spiritual world is pure, but in the material world everyone is struggling hard to acquire victims who present different pleasures to the body. It might be more clear to state that this body is the effect of the senses. The senses are instruments for gratifying desire. Now, the sum total—body and instrument senses—are offered by material nature, and, as will be clear in the next verse, the living entity is blessed or damned with circumstances according to his past desire and activity. According to one’s desires and activities, material nature places one in various residential quarters. The being himself is the cause of his attaining such residential quarters and his attendant enjoyment or suffering. Once placed in some particular kind of body, he comes under the control of nature because the body, being matter, acts according to the laws of nature. At that time, the 1iving entity has no power to change that law. Suppose an entity is put into the body of a dog. As soon as he is put into the body of a dog, he must act like a dog. He cannot act otherwise. And if the living entity is put into the body of a hog, then he is forced to eat stool and act like a hog. Similarly, if the living entity is put into the body of a demigod, he must act according to his body. This is the law of nature. But in all circumstances, the Supersoul is with the individual soul. That is explained in the Vedas as follows: dva suparna sayuja sakhaya. The Supreme Lord is so kind upon the living entity that He always accompanies the individual soul and in all circumstances is present as the Supersoul or Paramatma. Bg13.22 TEXT 22 purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu purusah—the living entity; prakrti-sthah—being situated in the material energy; hi—certainly; bhunkte—enjoys; prakrti-jan—produced by the material nature; gunan—modes of nature; karanam—cause; guna-sangah—association with the modes of nature; asya—of the living entity; sat-asat—good and bad; yoni—species of life; janmasu—birth. TRANSLATION The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species. PURPORT This verse is very important for an understanding of how the living entities transmigrate from one body to another. It is explained in the Second Chapter that the living entity is transmigrating from one body to another just as one changes dress. This change of dress is due to his attachment to material existence. As long as he is captivated by this false manifestation, he has to continue transmigrating from one body to another. Due to his desire to lord it over material nature, he is put into such undesirable circumstances. Under the influence of material desire, the entity is born sometimes as a demigod, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic, as a saintly man, as a bug. This is going on. And in all cases the living entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances, yet he is under the influence of material nature. How he is put into such different bodies is explained here. It is due to association with the different modes of nature. One has to rise, therefore, above the three material modes and become situated in the transcendental position. That is called Krsna consciousness. Unless one is situated in Krsna consciousness, his material consciousness will oblige him to transfer from one body to another because he has material desires since time immemorial. But he has to change that conception. That change can be effected only by hearing from authoritative sources. The best example is here: Arjuna is hearing the science of God from Krsna. The living entity, if he submits to this hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate material nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his long desire to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness. In a Vedic mantra it is said that as he becomes learned in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his eternal blissful life. Bg13.23 TEXT 23 upadrastanumanta ca bharta bhokta mahesvarah paramatmeti capy ukto dehe ’smin purusah parah upadrasta—overseer; anumanta—permitter; ca—also; bharta—master; bhokta—supreme enjoyer; mahesvarah—the Supreme Lord; paramatma—Supersoul; iti—also; ca—and; api uktah—is said; dehe—in this body; asmin—this; purusah—enjoyer; parah—transcendental. TRANSLATION Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul. PURPORT It is stated here that the Supersoul, who is always with the individual soul, is the representation of the Supreme Lord. He is not an ordinary living entity. Because the monist philosophers take the knower of the body to be one, they think that there is no difference between the Supersoul and the individual soul. To clarify this, the Lord says that He is the representation of Paramatma in every body. He is different from the individual soul; He is parah, transcendental. The individual soul enjoys the activities of a particular field, but the Supersoul is present not as finite enjoyer nor as one taking part in bodily activities, but as the witness, overseer, permitter and supreme enjoyer. His name is Paramatma, not atma, and He is transcendental. It is distinctly clear that the atma and Paramatma are different. The Supersoul, the Paramatma, has legs and hands everywhere, but the individual soul does not. And because He is the Supreme Lord, He is present within to sanction the individual soul’s desiring material enjoyment. Without the sanction of the Supreme Soul, the individual soul cannot do anything. The individual is bhakta or the sustained, and He is bhukta or the maintainer. There are innumerable living entities, and He is staying in them as a friend. The fact is that individual living entities are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and both of them are very intimately related as friends. But the living entity has the tendency to reject the sanction of the Supreme Lord and act independantly in an attempt to dominate the supreme nature, and because he has this tendency, he is called the marginal energy of the Supreme Lord. The living entity can be situated either in the material energy or the spiritual energy. As long as he is conditioned by the material energy, the Supreme Lord, as his friend, the Supersoul, stays with him just to get him to return to the spiritual energy. The Lord is always eager to take him back to the spiritual energy, but due to his minute independence, the individual entity is continually rejecting the association of spiritual light. This misuse of independence is the cause of his material strife in the conditioned nature. The Lord, therefore, is always giving instruction from within and from without. From without He gives instructions as stated in Bhagavad-gita, and from within He tries to convince him that his activities in the material field are not conducive to real happiness. “Just give it up and turn your faith toward Me. Then you will be happy,” He says. Thus the intelligent person who places his faith in the Paramatma or the Supreme Personality of Godhead begins to advance toward a blissful eternal life of knowledge Bg13.24 TEXT 24 ya evam vetti purusam prakrtim ca gunaih saha sarvatha vartamano ’pi na sa bhuyo ’bhijayate yah—anyone; evam—thus; vetti—understands; purusam—the living entities; prakrtim—material nature; ca—and; gunaih—modes of material nature; saha—with; sarvatha—by all means; vartamanah—situated; api—in spite of; na—never; sah—he; bhuyah—again; abhijayate—takes his birth. TRANSLATION One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position. PURPORT Clear understanding of material nature, the Supersoul, the individual soul and their interrelation makes one eligible to become liberated and turn to the spiritual atmosphere without being forced to return to this material nature. This is the result of knowledge. The purpose of knowledge is to understand distinctly that the living entity has by chance fallen into this material existence. By his personal endeavor in association with authorities, saintly persons and a spiritual master, he has to understand his position and then revert to spiritual consciousness or Krsna consciousness by understanding Bhagavad-gita as it is explained by the Personality of Godhead. Then it is certain that he will never come again into this material existence; he will be transferred into the spiritual world for a blissful eternal life of knowledge.