BG 13.24 — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 13.24Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना ।

अन्ये सांख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ॥

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecid ātmānam ātmanā

anye sāṃkhyena yogena karma-yogena cāpare

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Some see the self within themselves through meditation, others through the path of knowledge, and still others through the path of action.

ekras · bhāṣya

By dhyana some see the atman in atmani by atmana — some by sankhya-yoga, some by karma-yoga. Three paths to one seeing: meditative absorption, discriminative analysis, or dedicated action.

Krishna names the temperamental diversity of the spiritual life — and refuses to rank them.

Shankara reads each as upaya — means — fitting a different adhikarin. Dhyana suits the contemplative; sankhya the analytical; karma-yoga those whose path is work. The one who truly knows purusha as 'aham asmi — I am this' and sees prakriti-with-gunas as the mithya-superimposition destroyed by vidya is the one who does not return to birth, however he lives out his days. The three paths are different doors into the same room.

Madhusudana synthesizes elegantly. The one who directly realizes purusha as ayam aham asmi — I am this very one — and simultaneously cognizes prakriti-as-avidya, with all its modifications, as mithya negated by atma-vidya, does not return to birth even if, under the force of prarabdha-karma, he lives like Indra transgressing injunctions — indravat vidhim atikramya vartamanah api.

Madhusudana cites the Indra-figure deliberately: the post-realization life is not bound by the form-rules; the breaking of mithya-tadatmya is what release means.

Ramanuja distinguishes three classes of seekers. Nishpanna-yogah — those in whom yoga is already accomplished — see the atman dwelling in the sharira through bhakti-yoga directly. Anishpanna-yogah — those not yet accomplished — first render the mind fit through sankhya-yoga, jnana-yoga, and thereby see. Those unqualified for both yoga paths reach the same seeing through karma-yoga with embedded jnana. Three doors, but the chapter's bhakti-orientation is the inner thread through all three.

Madhva reads each path as a real, irreducible mode by which the paratantra jiva may come to perceive the atman within the self by the self. In each case, what is perceived is not an undifferentiated unity but the eternally distinct jiva-svarupa in clear discrimination from prakriti and from svatantra Hari. The path-diversity reflects the jivas' diverse temperaments; the bheda-recognition is the same in all three.

Vallabha reads dhyana as the spontaneous smarana that arises only when Krishna Himself illumines His own form in the bhakta's antahkarana. The threefold scheme — dhyana, sankhya-yoga, karma-yoga — maps onto the pushti-marga distinction between pushti-jivas, those sustained entirely by Krishna's prasada, and other categories of bhaktas. The path the jiva walks is the path the prasada has opened for him.

Shridhara reads the verse as the liberating fruit of prakriti-purusha-viveka. The one who knows purusha in its upadrashtri form and knows prakriti with its gunas and modifications — sukha-duhkha-adi-parinama — even if living in apparent transgression of conventional norms, vidhim atilanghya vartamanah api, does not take birth again. The chapter is generous about how one arrives; severe about what one must finally see.

Context

where

Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 13.23

Know the witness-self and material nature together with her qualities, and however you live out your days, you will not be born again.

What's going on

Some see the self within themselves through meditation, others through the path of knowledge, and still others through the path of action.

Sūtras through this verse (54)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

13.1Two niṣṭhās, three kāṇḍas — keystone.───→here13.24───→18.78Sealed: the means stands on the end stands.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)between

13.2Field and knower both predicate Me.───→here13.24───→13.32Touches without being stained.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

13.2Architectural claim: the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.24───→14.1Two-verse prelude names guṇa-vibhāga.

show all 54

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

13.1Vākyārtha hexad begins. Anchor.───→here13.24───→15.20Whole teaching named guhyatamaṃ śāstram.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

13.1Ch 13 opens by binding to the middle hexad.───→here13.24───→18.1Final chapter compresses seed and answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

13.1Boundary protected by stylized doubt.───→here13.24───→18.66Closing verse opened by doubt-and-answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyatebetween

13.7Twenty jñāna-qualities: still description.───→here13.24───→14.22Guṇātīta-lakṣaṇa follows the same rule.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousbetween

13.1Prakṛti's autonomy blocked at boundary. Anchor.───→here13.24───→14.1Modes belong to the Lord's prakṛti.

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstbetween

13.1Same discipline at the keystone chapter.───→here13.24───→18.1Final chapter opens with the same form.

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

13.7Itihasa stories and the witness virtues. 'Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa kshantir ───→here13.24───→17.15Mantra and speech. 'Anudvega-karam vakyam satyam priya-hitam cha yat, svadhyaya-

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

9.29'Samo'ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo'sti na priyah.' I am equal in all beings;───→here13.24───→13.27'Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram.' The same Lord seated equal

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

9.27Dharma-as-offering pillar. 'Yat karoshi yad ashnasi yaj juhoshi dadasi yat.' Gau───→here13.24───→13.27Atman / Brahman pillar. 'Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram.' The

Gauravmodernwitness_self_neti_neti

Witness Self Neti Netibetween

6.29'Sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam sarva-bhutani cha'tmani, ikshate yoga-yuktatma sarvat───→here13.24───→13.32'Anaditvan nirgunatvat paramatma'yam avyayah, sharira-stho'pi Kaunteya na karoti

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

13.1Open the third ṣaṭka: field and knower.───→here13.24───→14.1Beyond sāṅkhya: the modes that bind.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśabetween

13.22Witness, consenter, upholder.───→here13.24───→13.32Touches without being stained.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

13.2Those who posit ajñāna in Brahman fail.───→here13.24───→18.61The yantrin reading forecloses the residue.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.───→here13.24───→18.42Even brāhmaṇa grounded here.

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktabetween

13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.───→here13.24───→14.5Three modes bind the soul.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

13.21Clinging to modes is why you are reborn.───→here13.24───→15.1Cut the world-tree at its root, clinging.

RamsukhdasclassicalD

The three modes (sattva, rajas, tamas) at workbetween

13.21Clinging to modes causes any new birth.───→here13.24───→14.5Three modes bind the imperishable.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartbetween

13.17The Knowable lives as the inner light.───→here13.24───→15.15Seated in every heart; memory comes from Me.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

13.20Nature causes the act; you only experience.───→here13.24───→15.7Self drags the senses like wind drags scent.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here13.24───→

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidexit

12.12'Shreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj jnanad dhyanam vishishyate, dhyanat karma-phala-tyaga───→here13.24───→

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesstation

───→here13.24───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

9.9Like one detached, not actually───→here13.24───→13.30Seer of non-action by Hari's light

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvarabetween

13.12Hands and feet on every side, beyond all.───→here13.24───→15.16Two persons inside the field, one beyond.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

13.23Soul and Lord coexist in the body, not as one.───→here13.24───→15.8The Lord carries the soul from body to body.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

9.9He sits like one detached, not actually detached.───→here13.24───→13.30The seer of non-action sees by Hari's light.

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causebetween

12.12Anabhimlāna-śruti names every rung in order.───→here13.24───→13.25Three classes, one ladder, each class on a different rung.

ŚrīdharaclassicalA

The Gītā as raft across griefbetween

13.2For their rescue, truth-knowledge is uttered.───→here13.24───→18.66I shall release you from every wrong.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

13.2I lift my devotees, so I now teach truth.───→here13.24───→14.1Now, the highest of all knowings.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personbetween

13.3The soul is part of the supreme Person.───→here13.24───→15.7The soul is My eternal part — its ānanda hidden. .

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentarybetween

13.2The Lord himself writes the third ṣaṭka. .───→here13.24───→15.15The bhāṣya-author is named by the Lord himself.

ŚrīdharaclassicalG

Soul as His portion, neither cut nor identicalapproach

───→here13.24───→14.26Fit for the state of brahman, not fused.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerexit

11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.───→here13.24───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerexit

11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.───→here13.24───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departureexit

11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.───→here13.24───→

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugeexit

13.10A steady evenness is the seeker's mark.───→here13.24───→

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderexit

13.2The third ṣaṭka is the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.24───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

13.2One Self lights every body as one sun lights all.───→here13.24───→18.66Beginningless habit ends only with self-knowledge.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

5.29Knowing Me, all wandering ceases at once.───→here13.24───→13.34One Self, untouched, in every body.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentbetween

13.2'Cāpi' marks two — not one identity.───→here13.24───→15.15Memory and forgetting both come from Him.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalE

Pūrva-pakṣa — name the rival, close the doorbetween

13.3Knower and field: the boundary is sharp.───→here13.24───→18.66Counterfeit reasonings named, then rejected.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

13.1The kṣetra-question resolves 12.20's hint.───→here13.24───→18.1Tyāga-question resolves ch. 16-17's typology.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not just utterance.───→here13.24───→15.16Refusing kṣara=inert, akṣara=soul.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not paraphrase.───→here13.24───→15.16Bhūta covers jīva; literal range holds.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

13.13Only the formless can be the ultimately taught.───→here13.24───→15.1Krishna is the ground, not a partner-god.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

13.13Not a power-of-the-Lord; the Lord himself, formless.───→here13.24───→14.27I am the foundation of formless Brahman itself.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingexit

11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.───→here13.24───→

JayatīrthaclassicalA

Body and embodied — the inference runs on the dehī sideexit

13.5Field and knower: body-self cut returns.───→here13.24───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

Three groups of six: you, the Lord, the joiningexit

13.1The last six work what 'are' really means.───→here13.24───→

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

13.9Indifference to objects───→here13.24───→15.5Free of pride and delusion

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

13.20Prakriti causes, puruṣa enjoys───→here13.24───→18.16Wrong-seer fails the act

Śabda · lemmas (10 unique · 13 occurrences)

आत्मनि·आत्मानम्·आत्मना ātman ×3 — the Self, soul; one's own self · locative masculine singular noun / accusative masculine singular noun / instrumental masculine singular noun
योगेन yoga ×2 — yoga; union, discipline, application · instrumental masculine singular noun
पश्यन्ति dṛś — to see (verbal root) · present indicative 3rd person plural verb
ध्यानेन dhyāna — meditation, contemplation (from √dhyā) · instrumental neuter singular noun
अन्ये anya — other, different · nominative masculine plural noun
सांख्येन sāṃkhya — Sāṃkhya (one of the six darśanas); knowledge, enumeration (from √khyā) · instrumental neuter singular noun

show all 10

केचिद् kaścit — someone, anyone · nominative masculine plural noun
कर्म karman — action, deed, the law of action · compound
च ca — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
अपरे apara — other, later; lower, secondary · nominative masculine plural noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01If the verse offers three paths — dhyāna, sāṃkhya-yoga, karma-yoga — as equally valid routes to the same seeing, what does that multiplicity imply about the relationship between the method and the destination?
02Śaṅkara argues that the knower living in apparent norm-transgression still does not return to birth. What is the ethical and social risk of that claim, and how does the bhāṣya tradition guard against its misuse?

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03Rāmānuja distinguishes the 'accomplished' (niṣpanna) from the 'not yet accomplished' (aniṣpanna) yogin. What are the practical markers that tell a sincere practitioner which category they occupy?
04The verse says the ātman is seen 'by the ātman through the ātman' (ātmanā ātmānam ātmani). What is the force of this triple deployment of the same word, and how do the different schools parse it differently?
05If karma-yoga embeds jñāna within itself (as Rāmānuja holds), what changes about how one performs an ordinary work task — and what remains the same?
06Madhusūdana invokes the arrow-and-bow simile from the Śāṅkara commentary: an arrow already released continues until its momentum is spent. How far does that simile clarify — and where does it break down — as a model for understanding why the jñānin still inhabits a body?
07The verse is positioned in the chapter on kṣetra-kṣetrajña (field and field-knower). How does 'seeing the ātman in the ātman' relate to the earlier instruction on knowing the field — are these the same knowledge or sequentially dependent?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

In a high-stakes meeting where everyone expects you to perform your role-identity, notice the witness that watches the performance without being absorbed in it — that noticing is dhyāna on ātman. The meeting-outcome does not touch the witness; act fully, identify not at all.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

When you feel unqualified for formal meditation, use karma-yoga embedded with jñāna: do your work as service to Bhagavān, hold the intent that each action prepares the mind for clearer seeing, and trust that fitness for deeper yoga is itself granted progressively by Bhagavān's grace.

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Dvaita

Before beginning any task today, acknowledge inwardly that your capacity to act, concentrate, and perceive is entirely on loan from Hari — this is 'seeing the ātman as Hari-paratantra.' The acknowledgment is not merely pious language; it reorients effort away from ego-ownership of results.

Śuddhādvaita

If formal sādhana (discipline) feels dry or mechanical today, stop forcing it and instead simply remember Kṛṣṇa (smaraṇa) with whatever warmth is available — even a flicker. Puṣṭi-mārga holds that this unforced remembrance, however small, is the highest act because it is Kṛṣṇa moving in you, not your technique.

Bhakti

When guilt about past failures (the 'norms transgressed') threatens to disqualify you from practice, recall Śrīdhara's gloss: the knower of prakṛti-puruṣa-viveka is freed even while living imperfectly. The disqualification story is itself a guṇa-modification of prakṛti — observe it, name it, let it pass.

Advaita-Bhakti

When a habit you thought you had overcome resurfaces (prārabdha-karma spending its momentum), do not treat this as evidence of failure. Madhusūdana's arrow simile says: the already-released arrow must land; knowledge burned the quiver, not the arrow in flight. Greet the recurrence with curiosity rather than shame, and return your attention to Kṛṣṇa.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13, Verse 24: Krishna to Arjuna — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga