CHAPTER XIII
The field and its Knower
This is one of the most famous chapters in the Geeta which gives the student a very direct explanation for, and almost a personal experience of, the Subject in him, the Self, free from his material equipments and their mis-interpretations --- the world-of-objects. Here we have an exhaustive exposition of how to meditate directly upon the Imperishable Formless Spirit.
The Geeta, being a philosophical poem --- however much it may try to hide its austere beauty behind an enchanting veil of its own lyricism, fragrant with the human touches provided by the Krishna-love and the Arjuna-weaknesses --- is a thunderous pronouncement of the wisdom of the Rishis. As such, the theme developed in this philosophical poem is unrelentingly logical and uncompromisingly scientific. And it has an unyielding frame-work in the very continuity of its systematic thought-development.
This chapter has its direct theme-parentage in the ideas discussed already in the chapter-VII entitled "KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE," and in the chapter-VIII entitled the "IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN." The intervening four chapters (IX, X, XI and XII) were occasioned due to Arjuna's intellectual hesitations and mental doubts. But the philosopher in Krishna never forgets the main theme that he has developed upon the "IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN." And when once he has consoled his disciple, and temporarily removed his doubts, he serenely goes back to take up the melody of his discussion.
The eighteen chapters of the Geeta fall into three distinct groups each of six chapters according to some reviewers of the Lord's Song. These three sections explain, according to them, the three sacred words in one of the great Vedantik maxims (Mahavakyas): "THAT THOU ART." The first section consisting of the first six chapters, explained the term "THOU"; the second section constituted of the next six chapters, explained the term "THAT"; and the last set of six chapters will explain the correlative verb "ART" in the sacred commandment, and so in this section we have an explanation of the term "ART."
Spirit functioning through matter-envelopments is the living organism. "THAT" dressed up in matter is the vainful "THOU." Therefore, man undressed of matter, is the Eternal and the Infinite Spirit.
To undress, and thereby to get rid of matter, we must have a precise knowledge of all that constitutes matter in us. This discrimination between the inert matter-equipments and the vibrant Spark-of-Life, the Spirit, is presented to us in this chapter which is rightly called the Field and the Knower-of-the-Field --- Kshetra-Kshetrajna Yoga.
The process of undressing is the process of meditation. The pose, the attitude, and the other technical secrets of meditation were all exhaustively explained earlier (in chapter V & VI). But having sat in meditation, what exactly has our integrated mind-and-intellect to do now? Can we draw ourselves from ourselves and seek our identity with the Infinite? These are exhaustively explained in this chapter.
The matter-equipments and their perceived worlds-of-objects together constitute the FIELD; and the Supreme Consciousness, illumining them, and therefore, seemingly functioning within the field, gathers to itself as a consequence, the status of the "KNOWER OF THE FIELD." One is a knower only as long as one is in the field-of-knowables.
A driver is one who is driving; a rider is one who is riding a horse; a swimmer is one who is swimming at the moment. Off the steering-wheel, off the saddle, away from the waters, the driver, the rider and the swimmer are but three individuals. While functioning in a given field, the subject gathers to itself a certain special status depending upon the nature of the field and the type of functions performed by him therein.
The Pure Consciousness, perceiving the world-of-plurality through Its own conditionings, becomes the "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD," and this knower thereby comes to experience joys and sorrows, successes and failures, peace and agitation, jealousies, fears and a million other wrecking storms and upheavals. The sorrows of Samsara are thus entirely the private wealth of the "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD" --- the Jiva.
If, through discrimination, the "Field" and its "Knower" are known separately, through meditation the student can detach himself from the matter-equipments, and therefore, get away from the "Field" of these sorrow-ridden experiences. Thereby the KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD, who was the "experiencer" of the sorrows transforms himself to be the experiencer of Absolute Knowledge.
Mathematically, Knowledge in a field of known things and happenings, becomes the Knower which suffers the imperfections of the known. The knower minus the FIELD-OF-THE-KNOWN becomes Pure Knowledge, Itself ever perfect and joyous. A careful study of the chapter will open up enough secret windows on to the vast amphitheatre of spiritual insight within ourselves.
|| Chapter-13 ||
The field and its Knower
This is one of the most famous chapters in the Geeta which gives the student a very direct explanation for, and almost a personal experience of, the Subject in him, the Self, free from his material equipments and their mis-interpretations --- the world-of-objects. Here we have an exhaustive exposition of how to meditate directly upon the Imperishable Formless Spirit.
The Geeta, being a philosophical poem --- however much it may try to hide its austere beauty behind an enchanting veil of its own lyricism, fragrant with the human touches provided by the Krishna-love and the Arjuna-weaknesses --- is a thunderous pronouncement of the wisdom of the Rishis. As such, the theme developed in this philosophical poem is unrelentingly logical and uncompromisingly scientific. And it has an unyielding frame-work in the very continuity of its systematic thought-development.
This chapter has its direct theme-parentage in the ideas discussed already in the chapter-VII entitled "KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE," and in the chapter-VIII entitled the "IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN." The intervening four chapters (IX, X, XI and XII) were occasioned due to Arjuna's intellectual hesitations and mental doubts. But the philosopher in Krishna never forgets the main theme that he has developed upon the "IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN." And when once he has consoled his disciple, and temporarily removed his doubts, he serenely goes back to take up the melody of his discussion.
The eighteen chapters of the Geeta fall into three distinct groups each of six chapters according to some reviewers of the Lord's Song. These three sections explain, according to them, the three sacred words in one of the great Vedantik maxims (Mahavakyas): "THAT THOU ART." The first section consisting of the first six chapters, explained the term "THOU"; the second section constituted of the next six chapters, explained the term "THAT"; and the last set of six chapters will explain the correlative verb "ART" in the sacred commandment, and so in this section we have an explanation of the term "ART."
Spirit functioning through matter-envelopments is the living organism. "THAT" dressed up in matter is the vainful "THOU." Therefore, man undressed of matter, is the Eternal and the Infinite Spirit.
To undress, and thereby to get rid of matter, we must have a precise knowledge of all that constitutes matter in us. This discrimination between the inert matter-equipments and the vibrant Spark-of-Life, the Spirit, is presented to us in this chapter which is rightly called the Field and the Knower-of-the-Field --- Kshetra-Kshetrajna Yoga.
The process of undressing is the process of meditation. The pose, the attitude, and the other technical secrets of meditation were all exhaustively explained earlier (in chapter V & VI). But having sat in meditation, what exactly has our integrated mind-and-intellect to do now? Can we draw ourselves from ourselves and seek our identity with the Infinite? These are exhaustively explained in this chapter.
The matter-equipments and their perceived worlds-of-objects together constitute the FIELD; and the Supreme Consciousness, illumining them, and therefore, seemingly functioning within the field, gathers to itself as a consequence, the status of the "KNOWER OF THE FIELD." One is a knower only as long as one is in the field-of-knowables.
A driver is one who is driving; a rider is one who is riding a horse; a swimmer is one who is swimming at the moment. Off the steering-wheel, off the saddle, away from the waters, the driver, the rider and the swimmer are but three individuals. While functioning in a given field, the subject gathers to itself a certain special status depending upon the nature of the field and the type of functions performed by him therein.
The Pure Consciousness, perceiving the world-of-plurality through Its own conditionings, becomes the "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD," and this knower thereby comes to experience joys and sorrows, successes and failures, peace and agitation, jealousies, fears and a million other wrecking storms and upheavals. The sorrows of Samsara are thus entirely the private wealth of the "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD" --- the Jiva.
If, through discrimination, the "Field" and its "Knower" are known separately, through meditation the student can detach himself from the matter-equipments, and therefore, get away from the "Field" of these sorrow-ridden experiences. Thereby the KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD, who was the "experiencer" of the sorrows transforms himself to be the experiencer of Absolute Knowledge.
Mathematically, Knowledge in a field of known things and happenings, becomes the Knower which suffers the imperfections of the known. The knower minus the FIELD-OF-THE-KNOWN becomes Pure Knowledge, Itself ever perfect and joyous. A careful study of the chapter will open up enough secret windows on to the vast amphitheatre of spiritual insight within ourselves.
|| Chapter-13 ||
