SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 34
yatha prakasayaty ekah
krtsnam lokam imam ravih
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata

yatha--as; prakasayati--illuminates; ekah--one; krtsnam--the whole; lokam--universe; imam--this; ravih--sun; ksetram--this body; ksetri--the soul; tatha--similarly; krtsnam--all; prakasayati--illuminates; bharata--O son of Bharata.

TRANSLATION

O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 32
anaditvan nirgunatvat
paramatmayam avyayah
sarira-stho 'pi kaunteya
na karoti na lipyate

anaditvat--due to eternity; nirgunatvat--due to being transcendental; parama--beyond material nature; atma--spirit; ayam--this; avyayah--inexhaustible; sarira-sthah--dwelling in the body; api--though; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; na karoti--never does anything; na lipyate--nor is he entangled.

TRANSLATION

Those with the vision of eternity can see that the imperishable soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 31
yada bhuta-prthag-bhavam
eka-stham anupasyati
tata eva ca vistaram
brahma sampadyate tada

yada--when; bhuta--of living entities; prthak-bhavam--separated identities; eka-stham--situated in one; anupasyati--one tries to see through authority; tatah eva--thereafter; ca--also; vistaram--the expansion; brahma--the Absolute; sampadyate--he attains; tada--at that time.

TRANSLATION

When a sensible man ceases to see different identities due to different material bodies and he sees how beings are expanded everywhere, he attains to the Brahman conception.

JOURNAL:

At the end of his purport, Srila Prabhupada explains; The spirit soul, due to contact with material nature, gets different types of bodies. When one can see this, he attains spiritual vision; thus being freed from differentiations like man, animal, big, low, etc., one becomes purified in his consciousness and able to develop Krsna consciousness in his spiritual identity. How he then sees things will be explained in the next verse.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 30
prakrtyaiva ca karmani
kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam
akartaram sa pasyati

prakrtya--by material nature; eva--certainly; ca--also; karmani--activities; kriyamanani--being performed; sarvasah--in all respects; yah--anyone who; pasyati--sees; tatha--also; atmanam--himself; akartaram--the nondoer; sah--he; pasyati--sees perfectly.

TRANSLATION

One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada states in his purport; Practically speaking, the body is a machine, designed by the Supreme Lord, to fulfill desires. Because of desires, one is put into difficult circumstances to suffer or to enjoy.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 29
samam pasyan hi sarvatra
samavasthitam isvaram
na hinasty atmanatmanam
tato yati param gatim

samam--equally; pasyan--seeing; hi--certainly; sarvatra--everywhere; samavasthitam--equally situated; isvaram--the Supersoul; na--does not; hinasti--degrade; atmana--by the mind; atmanam--the soul; tatah--then; yati--reaches; param--the transcendental; gatim--destination.

TRANSLATION

One who sees the Supersoul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 28
samam sarvesu bhutesu
tisthantam paramesvaram
vinasyatsv avinasyantam
yah pasyati sa pasyati

samam--equally; sarvesu--in all; bhutesu--living entities; tisthantam--residing; parama-isvaram--the Supersoul; vinasyatsu--in the destructible; avinasyantam--not destroyed; yah--anyone who; pasyati--sees; sah--he; pasyati--actually sees.

TRANSLATION

One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body is ever destroyed, actually sees.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada opens his purport with these words; Anyone who by good association can see three things combined together--the body, the proprietor of the body, or individual soul, and the friend of the individual soul--is actually in knowledge. This is one of my daily practices; to see those around me in this way. I chant Hare Krishna and try to see Him in others.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 27
yavat sanjayate kincit
sattvam sthavara-jangamam
ksetra-ksetrajna-samyogat
tad viddhi bharatarsabha

yavat--whatever; sanjayate--comes into being; kincit--anything; sattvam--existence; sthavara--not moving; jangamam--moving; ksetra--of the body; ksetra-jna--and the knower of the body; samyogat--by the union between; tat viddhi--you must know it; bharata-rsabha--O chief of the Bharatas.

TRANSLATION

O chief of the Bharatas, know that whatever you see in existence, both the moving and the nonmoving, is only a combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada begins his purport with these words; Both material nature and the living entity, which were existing before the creation of the cosmos, are explained in this verse. Whatever is created is but a combination of the living entity and material nature.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 26
anye tv evam ajanantah
srutvanyebhya upasate
te 'pi catitaranty eva
mrtyum sruti-parayanah

anye--others; tu--but; evam--thus; ajanantah--without spiritual knowledge; srutva--by hearing; anyebhyah--from others; upasate--begin to worship; te--they; api--also; ca--and; atitaranti--transcend; eva--certainly; mrtyum--the path of death; sruti-parayanah--inclined to the process of hearing.

TRANSLATION

Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport; This hearing process is very important. Lord Caitanya, who preached Krsna consciousness in the modern world, gave great stress to hearing because if the common man simply hears from authoritative sources he can progress, especially, according to Lord Caitanya, if he hears the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 25
dhyanenatmani pasyanti
kecid atmanam atmana
anye sankhyena yogena
karma-yogena capare

dhyanena--by meditation; atmani--within the self; pasyanti--see; kecit--some; atmanam--the Supersoul; atmana--by the mind; anye--others; sankhyena--of philosophical discussion; yogena--by the yoga system; karma-yogena--by activities without fruitive desire; ca--also; apare--others.

TRANSLATION

Some perceive the Supersoul within themselves through meditation, others through the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through working without fruitive desires.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 24
ya evam vetti purusam
prakrtim ca gunaih saha
sarvatha vartamano 'pi
na sa bhuyo 'bhijayate

yah--anyone who; evam--thus; vetti--understands; purusam--the living entity; prakrtim--material nature; ca--and; gunaih--the modes of material nature; saha--with; sarvatha--in all ways; vartamanah--being situated; api--in spite of; na--never; sah--he; bhuyah--again; abhijayate--takes his birth.

TRANSLATION

One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 23
upadrastanumanta ca
bharta bhokta mahesvarah
paramatmeti capy ukto
dehe 'smin purusah parah

upadrasta--overseer; anumanta--permitter; ca--also; bharta--master; bhokta--supreme enjoyer; maha-isvarah--the Supreme Lord; parama-atma--the Supersoul; iti--also; ca--and; api--indeed; uktah--is said; dehe--in the body; asmin--this; purusah--enjoyer; parah--transcendental.

TRANSLATION

Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada gives this example in his lecture on this sloka (October 22, 1973, Bombay, India); Just like the landlord and the tenet: the tenet is the occupier and the landlord is the owner. Similarly, I am the occupier of this body and Krishna, Paramatma, is the owner of this body. This is knowledge.

In dealing with the idea of the "permitter" he says; You insist (on) permission; "I want to do this", and without permission you cannot do it. Therefore, Krishna gives you permission; "All right you do it, but at your risk". Krishna does not want that you should do it but you want to do it.

Even with the idea of karma, free will is still there.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 22
purusah prakrti-stho hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

purusah--the living entity; prakrti-sthah--being situated in the material energy; hi--certainly; bhunkte--enjoys; prakrti-jan--produced by the material nature; gunan--the modes of nature; karanam--the cause; guna-sangah--the association with the modes of nature; asya--of the living entity; sat-asat--in good and bad; yoni--species of life; janmasu--in births.

TRANSLATION

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 21
karya-karana-kartrtve
hetuh prakrtir ucyate
purusah sukha-duhkhanam
bhoktrtve hetur ucyate

karya--of effect; karana--and cause; kartrtve--in the matter of creation; hetuh--the instrument; prakrtih--material nature; ucyate--is said to be; purusah--the living entity; sukha--of happiness; duhkhanam--and distress; bhoktrtve--in enjoyment; hetuh--the instrument; ucyate--is said to be.

TRANSLATION

Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 20
prakrtim purusam caiva
viddhy anadi ubhav api
vikarams ca gunams caiva
viddhi prakrti-sambhavan

prakrtim--material nature; purusam--the living entities; ca--also; eva--certainly; viddhi--you must know; anadi--without beginning; ubhau--both; api--also; vikaran--transformations; ca--also; gunan--the three modes of nature; ca--also; eva--certainly; viddhi--know; prakrti--material nature; sambhavan--produced of.

TRANSLATION

Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.

JOURNAL:

We now move on to patching up Chapter thirteen.

Srila Prabhupada opens his purport to this sloka with these words; By the knowledge given in this chapter, one can understand the body (the field of activities) and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul). The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature. The individual soul that is embodied and enjoying the activities of the body is the purusa, or the living entity. He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul.

Please click the link on the sidebar "Sloka of the Day - by Chapter" to read the beginning verses in this chapter.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 35
ksetra-ksetrajnayor evam
antaram jnana-caksusa
bhuta-prakrti-moksam ca
ye vidur yanti te param

ksetra--of the body; ksetra-jnayoh--of the proprietor of the body; evam--thus; antaram--the difference; jnana-caksusa--by the vision of knowledge; bhuta--of the living entity; prakrti--from material nature; moksam--the liberation; ca--also; ye--those who; viduh--know; yanti--approach; te--they; param--the Supreme.

TRANSLATION

Those who see with eyes of knowledge the difference between the body and the knower of the body, and can also understand the process of liberation from bondage in material nature, attain to the supreme goal.

PURPORT

The purport of this Thirteenth Chapter is that one should know the distinction between the body, the owner of the body, and the Supersoul. One should recognize the process of liberation, as described in verses eight through twelve. Then one can go on to the supreme destination.

A faithful person should at first have some good association to hear of God and thus gradually become enlightened. If one accepts a spiritual master, one can learn to distinguish between matter and spirit, and that becomes the steppingstone for further spiritual realization. A spiritual master, by various instructions, teaches his students to get free from the material concept of life. For instance, in Bhagavad-gita we find Krsna instructing Arjuna to free him from materialistic considerations.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 33
yatha sarva-gatam sauksmyad
akasam nopalio yate
sarvatravasthito dehe
tathatma nopalipyate

yatha--as; sarva-gatam--all-pervading; sauksmyat--due to being subtle; akasam--the sky; na--never; upalipyate--mixes; sarvatra--everywhere; avasthitah--situated; dehe--in the body; tatha--so; atma--the self; na--never; upalipyate--mixes.

TRANSLATION

The sky, due to its subtle nature, does not mix with anything, although it is all-pervading. Similarly, the soul situated in Brahman vision does not mix with the body, though situated in that body.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 19
iti ksetram tatha jnanam
jneyam coktam samasatah
mad-bhakta etad vijnaya
mad-bhavayopapdyate

iti--thus; ksetram--the field of activities (the body); tatha--also; jnanam--knowledge; jneyam--the knowable; ca--also; uktam--described; samasatah--in summary; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; etat--all this; vijnaya--after understanding; mat-bhavaya--to My nature; upapadyate--attains.

TRANSLATION

Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature.

PURPORT

Now, to summarize, one may understand that verses 6 and 7, beginning from maha-bhutani and continuing through cetana dhrtih, analyze the material elements and certain manifestations of the symptoms of life. These combine to form the body, or the field of activities. And verses 8 through 12, from amanitvam through tattva-jnanartha-darsanam, describe the process of knowledge for understanding both types of knower of the field of activities, namely the soul and the Supersoul. Then verses 13 through 18, beginning from anadi mat-param and continuing through hrdi sarvasya visthitam, describe the soul and the Supreme Lord, or the Supersoul.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 18
jyotisam api tajjyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hrdi sarvasya visthitam

jyotisam--in all luminous objects; api--also; tat--that; jyotih--the source of light; tamasah--the darkness; param--beyond; ucyate--is said; jnanam--knowledge; jneyam--to be known; jnana-gamyam--to be approached by knowledge; hrdi--in the heart; sarvasya--of everyone; visthitam--situated.

TRANSLATION

He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's heart.

JOURNAL:

Here is one of my favorite definitions of God; God is light. In his purport Srila Prabhupada writes; It is clearly stated in the Vedic literature that because of His luminous effulgence, everything is illuminated. According to modern science all we see is reflected light. We do not actually see the objects, just light reflecting off of them. Thus, if God is light, then all of us, at all times, are seeing God.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 17
avibhaktam ca bhutesu
vibhaktam iva ca sthitam
bhuta-bhartr ca tajjneyam
grasisnu prabhavisnu ca

avibhaktam--without division; ca--also; bhutesu--in all living beings; vibhaktam--divided; iva--as if; ca--also; sthitam--situated; bhuta-bhartr--the maintainer of all living entities; ca--also; tat--that; jneyam--to be understood; grasisnu--devouring; prabhavisnu--developing; ca--also.

TRANSLATION

Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.

JOURNAL:

Lately I have had a strong drive to chant the Holy Names of the Lord. I want to chant on my beads even when I should be doing something else. So, I chant under my breath while I work. I chant while riding the bus. I chant while doing the dishes. And the chanting just makes me want to chant more. All glories to the name of Krishna that soothes my soul! Hare Bol!

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 16
bahir antas ca bhutanam
acaram caram eva ca
suksmatvat tad avijneyam
dura-stham cantike ca tat

bahih--outside; antah--inside; ca--also; bhutanam--of all living entities; acaram--not moving; caram--moving; eva--also; ca--and; suksmatvat--on account of being subtle; tat--that; avijneyam--unknowable; dura-stham--far away; ca--also; antike--near; ca--and; tat--that.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Truth exists outside and inside of all living beings, the moving and the nonmoving. Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.