Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13, Verse 21: Krishna to ArjunaKṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 13.21Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · KrishnaArjuna · anuṣṭubh
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान् गुणान्
कारणं गुणसङ्गो ऽस्य सद्असद्योनिजन्मसु
puruṣaḥpuruṣa(23 verses)nominative masculine singular nounperson, man; the cosmic Person; the Self (Sāṅkhya/Vedānta)attested in commentariesadvaitaजीवः क्षेत्रज्ञः भोक्ता इति पर्यायः, सुखदुःखानां भोग्यानां भोक्तृत्वे उपलब्धृत्वेviśiṣṭādvaitaप्रकृतिस्थः प्रकृतिसंसृष्टः प्रकृतिजान् गुणान् प्रकृतिसंसर्गौपाधिकान् सत्त्वादिगुणकार्यभूतान् सुखदुःखादीन् भुङ्क्ते अनुadvaita-bhaktiक्षेत्रज्ञः परा प्रकृतिरिति प्राग्व्याख्यातः स सुखदुःखानां सुखदुःखमोहानां भोग्यानां सर्वेषामपि भोक्तृत्वे वृत्त्युपरक्त prakṛtiprakṛti(28 verses)compound feminine (compound member)primordial nature (pra- + √kṛ 'do' — 'that from which all is made')-stho hihi(70 verses)for, indeed, because (particle) bhuṅkte√bhuj(7 verses)present indicative 3rd person singular verbto enjoy, eat, experience (verbal root)attested in commentariesviśiṣṭādvaitaअनुभवति prakṛtiprakṛti(28 verses)compound (compound member)primordial nature (pra- + √kṛ 'do' — 'that from which all is made')jānja(16 verses)accusative masculine plural nounborn of, produced from (suffix) guṇānguṇa(35 verses)accusative masculine plural nounquality, attribute (esp. the three guṇas: sattva/rajas/tamas)attested in commentariesviśiṣṭādvaitaप्रकृतिसंसर्गौपाधिकान् सत्त्वादिगुणकार्यभूतान् सुखदुःखादीन् भुङ्क्ते अनुभवति
kāraṇaṃkāraṇa(6 verses)nominative neuter singular nouncause, reason guṇaguṇa(35 verses)compound (compound member)quality, attribute (esp. the three guṇas: sattva/rajas/tamas)-saṅgsaṅga(20 verses)nominative masculine singular nounattachment, contact (= saṅga in earlier dict — alternate spelling)o 'sya sad-asad-yoniyoni(10 verses)compound (compound member)womb, source, origin-janmasujanman(18 verses)locative neuter plural nounbirth, origin
spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip
meaning

Dwelling in nature, the self experiences the qualities that nature produces; clinging to those qualities is what drives it into birth after birth, high and low.