121 - Spiritual Qualities to Gain Knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajna | Swami Tattwamayananda

The 13th chapter is about the discrimination between kshetra and kshetrajna.<br /><br />Human life in its empirical form is kshetra or the field. Kshetrajna is the knower of the field. Within the field there is something that is not subject to modification – that is kshetrajna. It is the Atman, which is immanent, all-pervading and transcendental.<br /><br />In this field, we sow seeds – our actions, thoughts and emotions are the seeds. They sprout with some results visible in this life and some in next life. This should be understood in the context of the law of karma and the law of incarnation.<br /><br />Law of karma should not be thought of as determinism. Rather, it asks to own responsibility for our actions. Our actions produce two types of results: One that is tangible and immediate. Another, that is invisible (Adhrishtam). These results are Apoorvam – meaning they did not exist before the action.<br /><br />Kshetra or the phenomenal world is constituted by 24 elements, as described in the 5th verse. These are Prakriti, Mahatattvam or cosmic intelligence, Ahamkara or ego-sense, the mind, the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, the five subtle elements and the five gross elements. The sixth verse adds seven other elements to kshetra - desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, body, intelligence and fortitude. With these, we live in the phenomenal world.<br /><br />Within this material world is the divine spark, Kshetrajna. It is immanent in every being. All problems in the world arises because of we identify ourselves with the kshetra. The one who identifies himself as kshetrajna, as distinct from the field, he is able to understand the impermanent nature of the world and its problems.<br /><br />The next few verses describe the spiritual qualities that one should practice to help discriminate between kshetra and kshetrajna.<br /><br />The qualities described in the 7th and 7th and 8th verses are: (1) Humility – not being too proud of oneself (2) Not pretentious – his thoughts, words and deeds become