Chapter 13 Verse 4
Kṣhetra Kṣhetrajña Vibhāg Yog
तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक् च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत्।स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे श्रृणु।।13.4।।
tat kṣhetraṁ yach cha yādṛik cha yad-vikāri yataśh cha yat sa cha yo yat-prabhāvaśh cha tat samāsena me śhṛiṇu
Word Meanings
| tat | that |
| kṣhetram | field of activities |
| yat | what |
| cha | and |
| yādṛik | its nature |
| cha | and |
| yat-vikāri | how change takes place in it |
| yataḥ | from what |
| cha | also |
| yat | what |
| saḥ | he |
| cha | also |
| yaḥ | who |
| yat-prabhāvaḥ | what his powers are |
| cha | and |
| tat | that |
| samāsena | in summary |
| me | from me |
| śhṛiṇu | listen |
Translation
Hear from Me in brief what the field is, of what nature it is, what its modifications are, whence it is, who He is, and what His powers are.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
Krishna tells Arjuna he will explain, in a short and clear way, what the "field" is. The field means the body, senses, mind, intellect and everything they experience — the changing part of our life. He will point out its nature and how it changes.
He also promises to name where this field comes from, who the knower is (the silent witness or true self), and what powers that knower has — the ability to be aware, to choose, and to remain steady. This teaching draws a simple line between what changes and the one who observes the change.
Knowing this helps you stop confusing yourself with passing thoughts and feelings. When you see yourself as the steady observer rather than only the moving field, you can act more clearly and suffer less from fear and anger.
Life Application
- When upset or excited, pause and notice the feeling as something happening in you, not who you are.
- Spend one minute daily asking, "Who is aware of this thought?" to grow your sense of the observing self.
- Make decisions from calm awareness: do your duty, but release rigid attachment to the outcome.
Reflection Question
Who is the one that notices your thoughts and feelings right now?