Bhagavad Gita BG 13.2
Chapter 13, Verse 2 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते । एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः ॥
idam shariram kaunteya kshetram ity abhidhiyate etad yo vetti tam prahuh kshetrajna iti tad-vidah
Meaning
This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field (kshetra); and the one who knows it, those who know about both call the knower of the field (kshetrajna).
Understanding
Krishna begins his answer to Arjuna's question in 13.1 with a definition. The body is the kshetra, the field: the ground in which actions are sown and their fruits reaped. The one who knows this field, who stands as its witness, is the kshetrajna. The wise (tad-vidah) use these two words, and the whole chapter is built on them. In 13.3 Krishna names Himself as the kshetrajna in all fields.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| इदम् | idam | this |
| शरीरम् | shariram | body |
| कौन्तेय | kaunteya | O son of Kunti |
| क्षेत्रम् | kshetram | field |
| इति | iti | thus |
| अभिधीयते | abhidhiyate | is called |
| एतत् | etat | this |
| यः | yah | who |
| वेत्ति | vetti | knows |
| तम् | tam | him |
| प्राहुः | prahuh | they say, they call |
| क्षेत्रज्ञः | kshetrajnah | knower of the field |
| तद्विदः | tad-vidah | those who know about these |