Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
The Yoga of the Field and its Knower
This chapter introduces the concepts of 'kshetra' (the field, i.e., the body) and 'kshetrajna' (the knower of the field, i.e., the soul). Krishna explains the difference between the physical body and the immortal soul, and how the soul becomes entangled in the material world. He describes the process of knowledge that leads to liberation.
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् | कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ||22||
The living entity, situated in the material nature, thus enjoys the modes of nature. Because of his association with the modes of nature, he meets with good and evil among various species.
Transliteration
puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān | kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ||22||
Commentary
Krishna explains the cause of the soul's reincarnation in different life forms. The 'purusha' (the soul or enjoyer) becomes entangled in 'prakriti' (material nature) by its attachment to the 'gunas' (modes of nature). This attachment ('sanga') is the root cause of its birth in higher or lower species, determining its experiences of happiness and distress.