Bhagavad Gita Discourse 13-15
Discourse 13-15
Krishna describes the body as the field or the Ksetra and the soul of the body as the Knower of the field or the Ksetra-Jna. Krishna then enumerates the 24 elements that are involved in the creation of the body. He tells Arjun that all things are supported by the Supersoul which is in all things and yet is one. The wise men that can perceive the omnipresent Supersoul are delivered to him and freed from the cycle of life and death. He recounts that some can perceive this fact of life through meditation and inner reflection while others attain the state through Yoga of action. Those that understand the relationship of the body, soul, and the Supersoul recognize the interconnectedness of all things. Even those who are unable to perceive this truth through either of the two methods may attain salvation by learning from others and offering their unconditional and pure devotion to the Supreme God through Bhakti yoga.
Krishna tells Arjun that he is going to reveal supreme wisdom to him. He begins by telling Arjun that he is the father of all things in creation, and the constituents of nature are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. They are light, fire, and darkness. He explains how Sattva is bound to happiness and light, while Tamas is bound to action and thirst. Lastly, Tamas is linked to ignorance and negligence. He recounts how each of these states can influence the human and lists their symptoms. He says that those who perform their actions in Sattva reach a higher path, the practitioners of Rajas achieve the level path, but those that work in Tamas devolve in their path. Those that transcend the three guns find liberation from the cycle of life and death.
Arjun asks Krishna to explain how one may overcome the three Gunas, and what it means. Krishna explains that those who can transcend the three states neither long for nor dread the three Gunas. They are just the same in Sattva, as they are in Tamas and Rajas. They behave the same in pleasure and pain as well as in honor and dishonor. These individuals can overcome the Gunas through the practice of Bhakti yoga. He says that he is essentially the whole of the universe or the Brahman.
Krishna talks about a tree that has its roots in the transcendental and whose branches extend into this world and the heavens. Souls move from branch to branch in their life, and those that know the Vedas understand the ways of the tree. Those who see Krishna as the supreme abode can cut away the branches and find their peace in him. Others fail to see even the movement of the soul from one branch to the other but the wise men in the world recognize the transmigration of souls. Krishna says that he is the sun, the moon, and the force of the digestive system, and is all-pervading. And adds that the knowledge of the Vedas leads to the recognition of Krishna as the supreme soul.
Analysis
The elements of the physical being are listed by Krishna in this section of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna explains that the mind is a part of the body, and despite being the seat of self-awareness, the body turns away from the material world in seeking the Eternal abode. Krishna names the three paths to transcendence in the 13th Discourse. Two of these have already been discussed in the earlier discourses and they include the Yoga of Knowledge and that of action. The third path named here is that of bhakti-yoga, the practice of devotion to Krishna. He states that those who offer up pure devotion to the Supreme God can also achieve salvation and immortality in the Eternal being.
Krishna outlines the qualities of the three Gunas in the 14th Discourse, and we learn that although Sattva is material, it is still central in the pursuit of ascendance. Rajas is linked with action while Tamas is connected with laziness and the reason why sages shouldn't be concerned with action and inaction but rather the means to act in purity. After learning about the three Gunas, Arjun again asks Krishna for guidance in achieving transcendence.
Krishna explains the universe with the metaphor of the Ashvattha tree, which has also been referenced in the Vedic Upanishads. These trees much like the Brahman have no beginning, middle, or end, and only those that have wisdom can perceive the Supreme God.
