Dr. Suka Dev

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Chapter Thirteen: Unlocking Our True Self; Body, Soul, and God

In our last chapter, Lord Krishna taught us about the Yoga of Love and how to become dear to God. Now, Arjuna has some more super important questions that will help us understand ourselves and the world around us. This chapter is like God Himself giving us a detailed map of our own bodies and the universe, showing us who's really who, and what's what!

Get ready to discover the secrets of your own being and how to truly see the difference between your body and your eternal self!

Arjuna Asks: What is This Body and Who Knows It?¹

graph TD B[Arjuna asks to understand nature, the enjoyer, the field, the knower of the field, knowledge, and its object.] B --> C[Krishna replies: The body is called the field.] C --> D[One who knows this body is called the knower of the field.] D --> E[Krishna is also the knower of the field in all bodies.] E --> F[Krishna says His opinion is that knowledge of the body and its knower is true knowledge.] F --> G[Krishna will summarize what the field is; its qualities; changes; origin; who the knower is; and his influences.]

The chapter begins with Arjuna asking Krishna to define many key terms related to our existence—the body, the soul, and God's role in it all. Krishna then immediately starts to answer, laying the foundation for a deep understanding.

"Arjunaḥ uvāca: prakṛtim puruṣam ca eva kṣetram kṣetra-jñam eva ca etat veditum icchāmi jñānam jñeyam ca Keśava."¹⁻² Arjuna said: "O Kesava, Keśava! I wish to understand, veditum icchāmi, nature, prakṛtim; the enjoyer, puruṣam; and also, ca eva, the field, kṣetram; and certainly, eva ca, the knower of the field, kṣetra-jñam! I also want to understand knowledge, jñānam, and what is to be known, jñeyam!"

Lord Krishna then began His reply: "Śrī-bhagavān uvāca: idam śarīram kaunteya kṣetram iti abhidhīyate etat yaḥ vetti tam prāhuḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ iti tat-vidaḥ."¹⁻² Lord Krishna said: "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! This body, idam śarīram, is called, iti abhidhīyate, the field, kṣetram! And one who knows this body, etat yaḥ vetti, those who know this, tat-vidaḥ, call him the knower of the field, tam prāhuḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ iti!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Kṣetram (kshe-tram) means 'the field,' and kṣetra-jñaḥ (kshe-tra-gnyah) means 'the knower of the field.' Krishna is saying our body is like a field where we act and experience things. And the one who knows what's happening in that field—the one who feels hungry or happy—that's you, the soul! You are the knower of your body-field.

"Kṣetra-jñam ca api mām viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayoḥ jñānam yat tat jñānam matam mama."³ "O son of Bharata, bhārata! Know that I, mām, am also, ca api, the knower of the field, kṣetra-jñam, in all bodies, sarva-kṣetreṣu! My opinion, matam mama, is that knowledge of the field (the body) and the knower of the field (the soul), kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayoḥ jñānam, is true knowledge, yat tat jñānam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a huge secret, kids! Krishna is saying that He is also the knower in every body! So, inside you, there's your soul (the individual knower), and also God (the ultimate knower). It's like you have a guide living right inside your heart!

"Tat kṣetram yat ca yādṛk ca yat vikāri yataḥ ca yat saḥ ca yaḥ yat prabhāvaḥ ca tat samāsena me śṛṇu."⁴ "Understand from Me in summary, tat samāsena me śṛṇu, what that field is, tat kṣetram yat; what its qualities are, ca yādṛk; what its changes are, yat vikāri; from where it comes, yataḥ ca yat; who the knower is, saḥ ca yaḥ; and what his influences are, yat prabhāvaḥ ca!"

What Makes Up Our Body, the Field of Action?⁵

graph TD B[Truths described by sages and Vedas, and in Vedanta-sutra.] B --> C[The field is: five great elements; false ego; intelligence; unmanifested nature.] C --> D[Also: eleven senses; five sense objects.] D --> E[And: desire; hatred; happiness; distress; the body's structure; living symptoms; conviction.] E --> F[All this is the field of activities, with its interactions.]

Krishna explains that these truths about the body (kṣetram) have been described in various ancient scriptures. He then summarizes all the different parts that make up this "field" of our activities.

"Ṛṣibhiḥ bahudhā gītam chandobhiḥ vividhaiḥ pṛthak brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ ca eva hetu-madbhiḥ viniścitaiḥ."⁵ "These truths have been described in many ways, bahudhā gītam, by wise sages, ṛṣibhiḥ, and in various Vedic hymns, vividhaiḥ chandobhiḥ pṛthak! And also, ca eva, by the aphorisms of the Vedanta-sutra, brahma-sūtra-padaiḥ, with certainty, viniścitaiḥ, showing cause and effect, hetu-madbhiḥ!"

"Mahā-bhūtāni ahaṅkāraḥ buddhiḥ avyaktam eva ca indriyāṇi daśa-ekam ca pañca ca indriya-go-carāḥ icchā dveṣaḥ sukham duḥkham saṅghātaḥ cetanā dhṛtiḥ etat kṣetram samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam."⁶⁻⁷ "The great elements, mahā-bhūtāni (ma-haa-bhoo-taa-ni—earth, water, fire, air, ether); false ego, ahaṅkāraḥ; intelligence, buddhiḥ; and also the unmanifested, avyaktam eva ca! The eleven senses, indriyāṇi daśa-ekam ca; and the five sense objects, pañca ca indriya-go-carāḥ (go-cha-raah—meaning 'objects of the senses' like sight, sound, smell, taste, touch); desire, icchā; hatred, dveṣaḥ; happiness, sukham; distress, duḥkham; the body's aggregate, saṅghātaḥ; living symptoms, cetanā; and conviction, dhṛtiḥ—all this, etat, is summarized, samāsena, as the field of activities, kṣetram, along with its interactions, sa-vikāram udāhṛtam!"

The Twenty Qualities of True Wisdom⁸

graph TD B[Knowledge is: Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a spiritual master.] B --> C[Cleanliness; steadfastness; self-control; renunciation of sense objects; freedom from false ego.] C --> D[Observing faults of birth, death, old age, disease, and distress.] D --> E[No attachment or strong association for son, wife, home.] E --> F[Constant equilibrium in good/bad outcomes.] F --> G[Unalloyed devotion to God; aspiring for solitary places; no attachment to general populace.] G --> H[Constancy in spiritual knowledge; philosophical search for truth.] H --> I[All this is declared knowledge; anything else is ignorance.]

Krishna describes the twenty essential qualities that make up true knowledge. These are not just ideas; they are ways of living that purify your heart and mind, leading you closer to God. Anything that doesn't fit these qualities is actually ignorance.

You got it, kids! Dr. Suka Dev here. You want to unpack those amazing qualities of wisdom, verse by verse, so we can really soak in each one? That's a fantastic idea!

Remember, Krishna is telling us the twenty qualities that make up true knowledge. It's like He's giving us a secret checklist for what it means to be truly wise, pure, and connected to God. Let's break them down, one by one, like precious jewels!

"Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntiḥ ārjavam ācārya-upāsanam śaucam sthairyam ātma-vinigraḥ"⁸ "Humility, amānitvam; pridelessness, adambhitvam; nonviolence, ahiṁsā; tolerance, kṣāntiḥ; simplicity, ārjavam; approaching a true spiritual teacher, ācārya-upāsanam; cleanliness, śaucam; steadfastness, sthairyam; and self-control, ātma-vinigrahaḥ—these are the first qualities."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Wow, what a list to start with, kids!

"Indriya-artheṣu vairāgyam anahaṅkāraḥ eva ca janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣa-anudarśanam"⁹ "Then, there's renunciation of sense objects, indriya-artheṣu vairāgyam; and also, eva ca, being without false ego, anahaṅkāraḥ—that feeling of 'I am this body.' And finally, constantly observing the faults of birth, janma, death, mṛtyu, old age, jarā, disease, vyādhi, and the distress they bring, duḥkha-doṣa-anudarśanam."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Vairāgyam means 'renunciation' or 'detachment.' It's not about giving up fun, but realizing that chasing after temporary pleasures for our senses often leads to trouble. Anahaṅkāraḥ means 'without false ego'—knowing you're not just your body or your feelings. And reflecting on janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha —'birth, death, old age, disease, and distress'—helps us realize that this material world has problems, so we should aim for something higher and eternal.

"Asaktiḥ anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛha-ādiṣu nityam ca sama-cittatvam iṣṭa-aniṣṭa-upapattiṣu"¹⁰ "This includes: being without attachment, asaktiḥ, and without intense association, anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ, for son, putra, wife, dāra, home, gṛha, and so on, ādiṣu. And also, ca, constant equilibrium, nityam sama-cittatvam, in obtaining both desirable, iṣṭa, and undesirable, aniṣṭa, things, upapattiṣu."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Asaktiḥ means 'non-attachment.' It's not that you don't love your family or home, but you understand that true happiness comes from God, not from clinging to temporary things. Sama-cittatvam means 'equilibrium' or 'even-mindedness'—being calm whether something good or bad happens. Super strong qualities for a peaceful mind!

"Mayi ca ananya-yogena bhaktiḥ avyabhicāriṇī vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratiḥ jana-saṁsadi"¹¹ "Then, there's unalloyed devotion to Me, bhaktiḥ avyabhicāriṇī, with undivided focus, ananya-yogena, towards Me (Mayi). It also includes aspiring for solitary places, vivikta-deśa-sevitvam, and being without attachment, aratiḥ, to crowds of people, jana-saṁsadi."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a big one, kids! Bhaktiḥ avyabhicāriṇī means 'unbroken or unwavering devotion.' It's deep, constant love for God that doesn't get distracted. And sometimes, to focus on that love, people like to go to vivikta-deśa-sevitvam—solitary places—away from the noise of big crowds (jana-saṁsadi) to connect more deeply with God.

"Adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvam tattva-jñāna-artha-darśanam etat jñānam iti proktam ajñānam yat ataḥ anyathā"¹² "Constancy in spiritual knowledge, adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvam; and philosophical search for the truth, tattva-jñāna-artha-darśanam—all this, etat, is declared as knowledge, jñānam iti proktam! What is other than this, yat ataḥ anyathā, is ignorance, ajñānam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Adhyātma-jñāna means 'spiritual knowledge' or 'knowledge of the self.' This means constantly learning and thinking about your true self and God. And tattva-jñāna-artha-darśanam is about seeing the deeper meaning and purpose of all truth. Krishna is saying, if your qualities don't include these, then it's not true knowledge, it's just ajñānam —ignorance!

"Also: being without attachment, asaktiḥ, and without intense association for son, wife, home, etc., anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛha-ādiṣu! Constant equilibrium, nityam sama-cittatvam, in obtaining both desirable and undesirable things, iṣṭa-aniṣṭa-upapattiṣu! And also, ca, unalloyed devotion to Me, mayi ananya-yogena bhaktiḥ avyabhicāriṇī—meaning unbroken devotion! Aspiring for solitary places, vivikta-deśa-sevitvam; being without attachment to people in general, aratiḥ jana-saṁsadi! Constancy in spiritual knowledge, adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvam; and philosophical search for the truth, tattva-jñāna-artha-darśanam! All this, etat, is declared as knowledge, jñānam iti proktam! What is other than this, yat ataḥ anyathā, is ignorance, ajñānam!"

Understanding God: He is Everywhere and Everything¹³

graph TD B[The knowable, when known, leads to immortality; it is the beginningless spiritual truth Brahman, neither cause nor effect.] B --> C[God has hands/legs/eyes/heads/faces/ears everywhere; covering everything.] C --> D[He is the source of all senses' qualities, yet without material senses; unattached yet maintains all; without material qualities yet master of them.] D --> E[He is outside/inside all beings; moving/non-moving; subtle, thus unknowable; far away and also near.] E --> F[He is undivided yet appears divided among beings; He is the maintainer, devourer, and developer.] F --> G[He is the source of light for all luminous objects; beyond darkness.] G --> H[He is knowledge, what is to be known, and approached by knowledge; situated in everyone's heart.]

Krishna then explains the "knowable"—that ultimate truth which, when truly understood, leads to immortality. This is God, who is without beginning, pervading everything, the source of all senses but without material senses, unattached yet maintaining all, and beyond all material qualities.

"Jñeyam yat tat pravakṣyāmi yat jñātvā amṛtam aśnute anādi mat-param brahma na sat tat na asat ucyate."¹³ "I shall now explain, pravakṣyāmi, what is to be known, jñeyam yat—that which, knowing, yat jñātvā, one tastes immortality, amṛtam aśnute! It is the beginningless, anādi, spiritual truth, Brahman, which is subordinate to Me, mat-param! It is said to be neither cause nor effect, na sat tat na asat ucyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Jñeyam (gyey-am) means 'what is to be known,' the ultimate object of knowledge. Anādi (an-aa-di) means 'beginningless,' showing God has no origin. And na sat tat na asat ucyate means 'neither cause nor effect'—God is beyond being just a cause or just a result; He is the ultimate reality itself!

"Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam tat sarvataḥ akṣi-śiraḥ-mukham sarvataḥ śruti-mat loke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati."¹⁴ "That truth (God) has hands and legs everywhere, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam! It has eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, sarvataḥ akṣi-śiraḥ-mukham! It has ears everywhere in the world, sarvataḥ śruti-mat loke! And it exists, tiṣṭhati, covering everything, sarvam āvṛtya!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is like describing God's universal presence! It doesn't mean He literally has millions of arms like a monster; it means His power and influence are everywhere, in every direction, through every being.

"Sarva-indriya-guṇa-ābhāsam sarva-indriya-vivarjitam asaktam sarva-bhṛt ca eva nirguṇam guṇa-bhoktṛ ca."¹⁵ "He is the original source of all the senses' qualities, sarva-indriya-guṇa-ābhāsam, yet He is without material senses, sarva-indriya-vivarjitam! He is without attachment, asaktam, yet He is the maintainer of everyone, sarva-bhṛt! And also, ca eva, He is without material qualities, nirguṇam, yet He is the master and enjoyer of the qualities, guṇa-bhoktṛ ca!"

"Bahiḥ antaḥ ca bhūtānām acaram caram eva ca sūkṣmatvāt tat avijñeyam dūra-stham ca antike ca tat."¹⁶ "He is outside and inside all living entities, bahiḥ antaḥ ca bhūtānām! He is moving and non-moving, acaram caram eva ca! Because He is subtle, sūkṣmatvāt, He is unknowable, tat avijñeyam! He is far away, dūra-stham, and also near, antike ca tat!"

"Avibhaktam ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam bhūta-bhartṛ ca tat jñeyam grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca."¹⁷ "He is without division, avibhaktam, yet appears divided, vibhaktam iva ca sthitam, among all living beings, bhūteṣu! He is the maintainer of all living entities, bhūta-bhartṛ ca! And that is to be understood, tat jñeyam, as the devourer, grasiṣṇu, and the developer, prabhaviṣṇu ca!"

"Jyotiṣām api tat jyotiḥ tamasaḥ param ucyate jñānam jñeyam jñāna-gamyam hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam."¹⁸ "He is the source of light, jyotiḥ, for all luminous objects, jyotiṣām api! He is said to be beyond the darkness, tamasaḥ param ucyate! He is knowledge, jñānam, what is to be known, jñeyam, and what is to be approached by knowledge, jñāna-gamyam! He is situated in everyone's heart, hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam!"

Who Really Acts? Nature and the Soul¹⁹

graph TD B[Material nature and living entities are both without beginning.] B --> C[Transformations and material qualities are produced from material nature.] C --> D[Material nature is the cause of all actions.] D --> E[The living entity is the cause of experiencing happiness and distress.] E --> F[Soul's association with nature's qualities causes births in good/bad species.] F --> G[God is present in the body as the overseer, permitter, master, supreme enjoyer, and Supersoul.] G --> H[One who understands the soul, nature, and its qualities is never born again.]

Krishna explains that both material nature (Prakṛti) and the living entities (Puruṣa) are eternal. Material nature is the cause of all physical actions and their effects, while the living entity (the soul) is the one who experiences happiness and distress, due to its connection with nature's qualities. He also reveals that the Supersoul (God) is present in the body as the ultimate overseer and enjoyer.

"Prakṛtim puruṣam ca eva viddhi anādī ubhau api vikārān ca guṇān ca eva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān."¹⁹ "You must know that material nature, prakṛtim, and the living entities, puruṣam, are both, ubhau api, without beginning, anādī! And also, ca eva, know that all transformations, vikārān, and the three modes of nature, guṇān ca eva, are produced from material nature, prakṛti-sambhavān!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Prakṛti (pra-kri-tih) means 'material nature,' and Puruṣam (poo-roo-sham) means 'the living entity' or 'enjoyer.' Krishna is saying both matter and souls are eternal; they're not created. Our bodies, minds, and feelings come from Prakriti.

"Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtiḥ ucyate puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānām bhoktṛtve hetuḥ ucyate."²⁰ "In the matter of creation (of the body) and its effects and instruments, kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve, material nature, prakṛtiḥ, is said to be the cause, hetuḥ ucyate! The living entity, puruṣaḥ, is said to be the cause, hetuḥ ucyate, for experiencing happiness and distress, sukha-duḥkhānām bhoktṛtve!"

"Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān kāraṇam guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sat-asat-yoni-janmasu."²¹ "Indeed, hi, the living entity, puruṣaḥ, being situated in material energy, prakṛti-sthaḥ, enjoys the modes of nature, prakṛti-jān guṇān! His association with the modes of nature, guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya, is the cause, kāraṇam, for his births in good and bad species of life, sat-asat-yoni-janmasu!"

"Upadraṣṭā anumantā ca bhartā bhoktā mahā-īśvaraḥ parama-ātmā iti ca api uktaḥ dehe asmin puruṣaḥ paraḥ."²³ "The transcendental enjoyer, puruṣaḥ paraḥ, in this body, dehe asmin, is also said to be the overseer, upadraṣṭā, the permitter, anumantā, the master, bhartā, the supreme enjoyer, bhoktā, the Supreme Lord, mahā-īśvaraḥ, and also the Supersoul, parama-ātmā iti ca api uktaḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a truly profound secret, kids! Krishna reveals that He is the Supersoul (parama-ātmā), present right inside our bodies, alongside our individual soul! He's the silent observer (upadraṣṭā), the one who allows us to act (anumantā), and the true master of everything. This is how God is personally connected to every single living being!

"Yaḥ evam vetti puruṣam prakṛtim ca guṇaiḥ saha sarvathā vartamānaḥ api na saḥ bhūyaḥ abhijāyate."²⁴ "Anyone who thus understands, yaḥ evam vetti, the living entity, puruṣam, and material nature, prakṛtim, along with its modes, guṇaiḥ saha—even while being situated in all ways, sarvathā vartamānaḥ api, he is never born again, na saḥ bhūyaḥ abhijāyate!"

Finding True Vision: Separating Body from Soul²⁵

graph TD B[Some see the Supersoul within by meditation; others by philosophy; others by action without desire.] B --> C[Others, without spiritual knowledge, transcend death just by hearing from others with faith.] C --> D[Everything moving/non-moving comes from the union of body field and soul knower.] D --> E[One who sees Supersoul residing equally in all destructible beings, as undestroyed, truly sees.] E --> F[Seeing God equally everywhere, one does not degrade the soul; then reaches a spiritual destination.] F --> G[One who sees that actions are done by nature and that the soul is not the doer, truly sees.] G --> H[When one sees separate living entities situated in God and their expansion, he attains the Absolute.] H --> I[The supreme soul is eternal, beyond qualities, imperishable; though in body, it neither acts nor is entangled.] I --> J[Just as the subtle sky doesn't mix with anything, the soul in the body doesn't mix with it.] J --> K[As one sun illuminates the whole universe, the soul illuminates the whole body.] K --> L[Those who know the difference between body and soul by knowledge, and liberation from nature, approach the Supreme.]

Krishna describes different paths people take to realize their true spiritual self. He then highlights how everything, both moving and non-moving, is a combination of the body (the field) and the soul (the knower). He concludes by explaining that true knowledge means seeing God equally everywhere and understanding the difference between our temporary body and our eternal soul, which leads to the ultimate spiritual destination.

"Dhyānena ātmani paśyanti kecit ātmānam ātmanā anye sāṅkhyena yogena karma-yogena ca apare."²⁵ "Some, kecit, see the Supersoul, ātmānam, within themselves, ātmani paśyanti, by meditation, dhyānena, through the mind, ātmanā! Others, anye, see it by philosophical discussion, sāṅkhyena yogena! And still others, apare, by performing actions without desire for results, karma-yogena!"

"Anye tu evam ajānantaḥ śrutvā anyebhyaḥ upāsate te api ca atitaranti eva mṛtyum śruti-parāyaṇāḥ."²⁶ "But others, anye tu, without spiritual knowledge, evam ajānantaḥ, begin to worship by hearing from others, śrutvā anyebhyaḥ upāsate! They also, te api ca, certainly transcend the path of death, atitaranti eva mṛtyum, by being inclined to the process of hearing, śruti-parāyaṇāḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Śruti-parāyaṇāḥ (shroo-ti-pa-raa-ya-nah) is a great phrase, kids! It means 'inclined to the process of hearing.' This is super encouraging! It tells us that even if we don't understand everything perfectly, just sincerely listening to spiritual knowledge can help us cross over the cycle of death and rebirth!

"Yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvam sthāvara-jaṅgamam kṣetra-kṣetra-jña-saṁyogāt tat viddhi bharata-ṛṣabha."²⁷ "O chief of the Bharatas, bharata-ṛṣabha! Whatever existence comes into being, yāvat sañjāyate kiñcit sattvam, whether non-moving, sthāvara, or moving, jaṅgamam—you must know that it is all by the union, saṁyogāt, of the body (the field), kṣetra, and the knower of the body (the soul), kṣetra-jña!"

"Samam sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhan tam parama-īśvaram vinaśyatsu avinaśyantam yaḥ paśyati saḥ paśyati."²⁸ "One who sees equally, samam paśyati, the Supersoul, parama-īśvaram, residing in all living entities, sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhan, and sees Him as not destroyed, avinaśyantam, within the destructible, vinaśyatsu—he truly sees, saḥ paśyati!"

"Samam paśyan hi sarvatra samavasthitam īśvaram na hinasti ātmanā ātmānam tataḥ yāti parām gatim."²⁹ "Indeed, hi, seeing God, īśvaram, equally situated everywhere, samam paśyan sarvatra samavasthitam, one does not degrade himself by his mind, na hinasti ātmanā ātmānam! From that point, tataḥ, he reaches the transcendental destination, yāti parām gatim!"

"Prakṛtyā eva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ yaḥ paśyati tathā ātmānam akartāram saḥ paśyati."³⁰ "One who sees that all activities, karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, are certainly, eva ca, performed by material nature, prakṛtyā kriyamāṇāni, and also sees himself, tathā ātmānam, as the non-doer, akartāram—he truly sees, saḥ paśyati!"

"Yadā bhūta-pṛthak-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśyati tataḥ eva ca vistāram brahma sampadyate tadā."³¹ "When one sees the separate identities of living entities, bhūta-pṛthak-bhāvam, as situated in one (the Universal Form or God), eka-stham anupaśyati, and understands their expansion from that one—then, tadā, he attains the Absolute, brahma sampadyate!"

"Anāditvāt nirguṇatvāt paramaḥ ātmā ayam avyayaḥ śarīra-sthaḥ api kaunteya na karoti na lipyate."³² "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! Because this supreme soul, paramaḥ ātmā ayam, is eternal, anāditvāt, and transcendental to all material qualities, nirguṇatvāt, it is imperishable, avyayaḥ! Even though dwelling in the body, śarīra-sthaḥ api, it never does anything, na karoti, nor is it entangled, na lipyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Avyayaḥ means 'inexhaustible' or 'imperishable.' So, the soul is eternal and pure, never truly doing anything or getting stuck, even when it's in a body!

"Yathā sarva-gatam saukṣmyāt ākāśam na upalipyate sarvatra avasthitaḥ dehe tathā ātmā na upalipyate."³³ "Just as the all-pervading sky, ākāśam, is not mixed with anything, na upalipyate, because of its subtle nature, saukṣmyāt—similarly, tathā, the soul, ātmā, though situated in the body everywhere, sarvatra avasthitaḥ dehe, is never entangled, na upalipyate!" This is a wonderful analogy, kids, like how the air is everywhere but doesn't get dirty from touching things.

"Yathā prakāśayati ekaḥ kṛtsnam lokam imam raviḥ kṣetram kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnam prakāśayati bhārata."³⁴ "Just as one sun, ekaḥ raviḥ, illuminates this entire universe, yathā prakāśayati kṛtsnam lokam idam—similarly, tathā, the knower of the body, kṣetrī, illuminates the whole body, kṛtsnam prakāśayati, O son of Bharata, bhārata!"

"Kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayoḥ evam antaram jñāna-cakṣuṣā bhūta-prakṛti-mokṣam ca ye viduḥ yānti te param."³⁵ "Those who, ye, truly know, viduḥ, the difference, antaram, between the body (the field), kṣetra, and the knower of the body (the soul), kṣetra-jñayoḥ, by the vision of knowledge, jñāna-cakṣuṣā—and also know about the liberation from material nature, bhūta-prakṛti-mokṣam ca—they approach the Supreme, yānti te param!"