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Chapter 13 - the only chapter of Gītā you need

Sukra-S14, 5127 K.E.

Chapter 13 is the quintessence of Bhagavad Gita. It propounds “theistic Sāṅkhya” out-and-out. In this article, I argue that the Chapter 13 is self-contained and self-sufficient because it condenses all of the following information:

  1. Ontology - the categories of being(s) and their relations
  2. Epistemology - the theory of knowledge
  3. Soteriology - the doctrine of liberation

It is a unique chapter, for it uses and brings together the key terminology of the entire Gītā: ātman, paramātman, brahman, īṡvara, prakṛti, puruṣa, guṇa, jn̄āna, bhakti, sāṅkhya-yōga, karma-yōga, and mōkṣa. It also directly mentions brahma-sūtra (13.4) and ācāry’ōpāsanā (13.7).

Ontology

Three categories of beings are admitted:

  1. Kṣētra or prakṛti
  2. Kṣētrajn̄a or puruṣa
  3. Paramātman or mahēṡvara

The material body is called Kṣētra. The knower of the field is Kṣētrajn̄a (13.1). Bhagavān is also a Kṣētrajn̄a present in all Kṣētras (13.2). Specifically, Kṣētra encompasses the five mahā-bhūtas, ahaṃkāra, buddhi, avyakta (primal matter), the eleven senses (5 jn̄ānēndriyas + 5 karmēndriyas + manas), the five sense objects (tanmātras) as well their modifications, namely, desire, hatred, pleasure and pain in the close union of holding consciousness (13.5-6). All moving and non-moving beings are by union of kṣētra and kṣētrajn̄a (13.26)

The object of knowledge is the Supreme Brahman, which is beginningless. It is neither being nor non-being (13.12). Brahman is nirguṇa but experiencer of guṇas (13.14, 13.31). Its impersonal nature is described 13.12-18. Brahman is the originator (prabhaviṣṇu), sustainer (bhartṛ) and devourer (grasiṣṇu) (13.16). Brahman is also parama-puruṣa (13.22), kṣetrajn̄a (13.2) and thus bhōktṛ (13.20, 13.22).

Prakṛti and Puruṣa are beginningless. The three guṇas and vikāras (13.6) are born of Prakṛti. Prakṛti is the cause, the effect and the doer (13.29). Puruṣa is the experiencer of pleasure and pain (13.20-21, cf. 13.6), being embedded in Prakṛti. The self is not the doer (13.29). Beyond these two is a one called Mahēṡvara (Great Lord), Paramātman (Supreme Self), Parapuruṣa (Supreme Person) indwelling in this body:- He is the overseer, consenter, sustainer (cf. 13.16) and experiencer (13.22). This Paramātman is beginningless, nirguṇa (devoid of sattva-rajas-tamas) and changeless; though indwelling in a body, It is neither the doer nor tainted (by karma) (13.31-32). Brahman is indwelling in the heart of all (13.17).

Soteirology

And my devotee (bhaktaḥ), on knowing this, arrives at my essence (mad-bhāvam, 13.18). The personal qualities of the devotee (ananya-avyabhicāriṇi-bhakti - singular, non-prostitutional devotion 13.11) are described in 13.7-11.

He who knows Puruṣa, Prakṛti and the guṇas is never born again, regardless of present condition (13.23). He who sees the Īṡvara immanent everywhere, goes the highest way (parāṃ gatim) (13.28).

13.24: Means of seeing Paramātma? (ātmānam ātmani)

How to attain Brahman? 13.30

He who sees all the different beings as situated in the One, and also their expansion from It alone, he attains Brahman (13.30)

This is the converse of 13.28 - Īṡvara is immanent in all beings, and all the beings are situated in Him.

Vivēka-khyāti leads to libertion (13.34 - LAST VERSE)

kṣētra-kṣētrajn̄ayōr ēvam antaraṃ jn̄āna-cakṣuṣā
bhūta-prakṛti-mōkṣaṃ ca yē vidur yānti tē param

Those who see the difference between kṣētra (prakṛti) and kṣētrajn̄a (puruṣa) through the eye of knowledge, as well as the liberation of living beings from prakṛti, approach the Supreme.

Espitemology - what is jn̄āna?

Real knowledge is that knowledge of kṣētra and kṣētrajn̄a (13.2)

Real knowledge is the perpetuity of the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit or of ātman (adhyātma-jn̄āna) and looking for the philosphical truth (tattva-jn̄āna) (13.11)

Actually, the list of sāttvic qualities from 13.7 until 13.11 is called jn̄āna.
(amānivtam adambhitvam … tattva-jn̄ānārtha-darṡanam). Specifically, the constant equanimity of mind on the attainment of the desirable and the undesirable (nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu).

Bhakti is not temple worship, mantra meditation or singing bhajans

Bhagavān is never tired to repeating what He means by Bhakti. It is seen in this Chap 13 as well (13.7-13.10, amānitvam adambhitvam … yōgēna bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī).

In fact, Bhagavān defines Bhakti as essentially self-contentment, detachment, equanimity of mind, transcending the three guṇas and going beyond dualities like friend-foe, heat-cold, etc. (Gita 12.13-20). It is repeated consistently, once in chapter 13 and again in chapter 14 (14.22-14.26, prakāṡaṃ ca pravṛttiṃ … avyabhicārēṇa bhakti-yōgēna).

Yajnas, homa-havana, arcanā, pūjā, or vigraha ārādhana are not central to bhakti at all! The Bhakti of Gita is very inward-looking, parelleling dhyāna, dhāraṇa, etc. of Patanjali Yoga.

Key differences from Vedānta and Classical Sāṅkhya

  1. Classical Sāṅkhya asserts that puruṣa, individual self, is a witness (sākṣin). However, only the Supreme Person (para-puruṣa) is the witness (upadraṣṭṛ) of all. The ordinary puruṣa is just a knower, kṣētrajn̄a, of his own body. However, a jn̄ātṛ is also a witness (cf. Manusmṛti 8.57) in the same meaning as sākṣin but that word is not used directly.
  2. Classical Sāṅkhya and Advaita Vedānta do not accept puruṣa as a bhōktṛ. However, here it is clearly mentioned that the entity experiencing pleasure and pain, i.e., the puruṣa, is bhōktṛ (13.20) because of his association with the three modes of prakṛti (13.21, kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgō’sya). Parabrahman is also called as the experiencer of guṇas, even though It is nirguṇa (13.14), because It pervades all existence (13.13). Paramātman i.e., Mahēṡvara is again said to be bhōktṛ because He is indwelling in all bodies (13.22).
  3. Vēdānta asserts that both the material cause and efficient cause is Brahman alone. However, here prakṛti is said to be the cause, the effect, and the doer itself (13.20 kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate). That is, prakṛti alone is the seat of all causality and puruṣa alone is the seat of experience. This orthodox Sāṅkhya teaching is repeated in many places in the Gītā (again, 13.29). Parabrahman, being the anumantā (permitter, 13.22) or adhyakṣa (supervisor, 9.10) of Prakṛti, assumes the traditional functions of trimūrti gods: origination, sustenance and absorption during the cycles of saṃsāra (13.16). Paramātman is changeless and therefore, not the doer and not tainted by karmic results (13.31). But if Prabrahman/puruṣa cannot be a doer, how can He originate, sustain and absorb? Note that, Paramātman, just like puruṣa, is not the doer/agent unless when he comes in conjunction with prakṛti. Parabrahman puts on a semblance (ābhāsa) of the qualities of all indriyas, though He is devoid of indriyas (13.14), for the purpose of creation, dissolution, etc.