Chapter XIII: The Field and the Knower of the Field

Devotion is more than enough to realise the Lord Krishna, the Truth Eternal. However, in this chapter Sri Krishna wants to widen Arjuna’s knowledge, philosophically and intellectually. Those who harbour philosophical and intellectual questions with regard to the Truth will now truly be satisfied.

We try to avoid and ignore that which creates problems in our life. According to Krishna, this so-called wisdom of ours is nothing short of ignorance. True, we shall not create problems on our own. But if the problems do appear, then we have to face them and enter into them and finally conquer them dauntlessly and totally.

Arjuna has already been blessed by the Lord with the inner heights. Now the Lord wants to illumine him with the knowledge of the Cosmos wherein he has to play a conscious role.

Matter and spirit. Prakriti and Purusha. The Field and the Knower of the Field. The body is the Field. The Soul is the Knower thereof. True wisdom lies in realising the Knower Supreme and the Cosmos, known and revealed.

There are twenty-four Tattvas, principles, that go to form the Field. The first group of great elements or bases is: earth, water, fire, air and ether. The field also houses the ego and the earth-bound mind, the intellect; the five organs of action — hands, feet, tongue and the two organs of elimination; also the sense organs such as nose, mouth, eyes, ears, and so on. The five spheres of the senses are: sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch.

Only one thing is to be known. To know that the Lord is within the Cosmos, without the Cosmos and beyond the Cosmos is to know everything.