Chapter 13 · 35 verses
The chapter distinguishes the field (the body-mind complex and the changing conditions of experience) from the knower of the field. It examines the constituents of experience, identifies qualities that support knowledge, and explores the relation between individual awareness and the supreme reality. Chapter numbering and the opening verse differ in some editions.
Central focus
The field, the knower, discernment, knowledge, and the relation between nature and awareness.
Chapter outline
- The field and the knower of the field
- The constituents and transformations of embodied experience
- Qualities that constitute genuine knowledge
- The knowable reality beyond ordinary categories
- The relation of prakṛti, puruṣa, and liberation
Reading the chapter
Read this chapter in the context of the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. Notice who is speaking, what question is being answered, and how each teaching develops from the preceding discussion. The chapter’s Sanskrit title is commonly rendered as Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga; English titles vary across editions.
Verse study pathway
This chapter page introduces the chapter’s structure and key ideas. A complete verse-by-verse edition should present each verse with a verified Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration, a clearly credited translation, grammatical and lexical notes, and commentary that distinguishes the wording of the verse from later interpretation. Verse-level entries will be added in sequence after text and translation verification.
Questions for reflection
- What does the field metaphor help us observe about experience?
- Why does the chapter define knowledge partly through character and conduct?
- How do different Vedānta traditions interpret the relation between the individual knower and the supreme?
Study note
This is an introductory guide, not a claim that all philosophical schools interpret every passage in the same way. Sanskrit terms are retained where an English equivalent would flatten their range of meaning. Comparative interpretations should be attributed to the specific commentators and editions consulted.