Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 13, Verse 26: Krishna to Arjuna — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga
Whatever exists, moving or still, arises from the union of field and field-knower. Know that, Arjuna.
Bhāṣyakāra purports
- Śaṅkaraadvaita
Whatever being arises, moving or unmoving, know it to arise solely from the conjunction of ksetra (field) and ksetrajna (knower of the field). The coupling itself is rooted in avidya (nescience); once that ignorance is dissolved through jnana, no real union ever occurred, for the ksetrajna is non-dual Brahman alone. This verse frames the entire phenomenal world as a superimposition on the one non-dual witness, providing the causal ground for the liberating knowledge declared in the preceding verse.
- Rāmānujaviśiṣṭādvaita
Every sentient and insentient being that comes into existence arises through the mutual conjunction (sanyoga) of ksetra and ksetrajna, never in separation from that conjunction. For Ramanuja both terms name real and distinct realities: matter (ksetra) and individual self (ksetrajna) are genuine modes (prakaras) of Brahman, so their union is Isvara's own creative act, not an illusion. The Lord's body encompasses all, and this verse reveals that no being escapes that embrace.
- Madhvadvaita
The verse is read by Madhva within a bracketed unit covering 13.25-26: all paths (sankhya-yoga, karma, sravanam, dhyanam) lead to perception of Bhagavan's own svarupa as ksetrajna. The sanyoga here is not an epistemic illusion but an eternal, ontological dependence of the jiva upon Hari, who alone is the true ksetrajna; all arising is fully under his sovereign will. Even the most incapable seeker, having heard and contemplated even partially, attains that vision through Hari's grace.
- Vallabhaśuddhādvaita
Vallabha reads this verse as addressed to the ati-manda-adhikari (those of the mildest spiritual qualification): even they, on hearing from jnanis and meditating with sraddha (faith), cross beyond mrtyu (the cycle of death). The ksetra-ksetrajna sanyoga is Krishna's own lila-sakti projecting multiplicity from his undivided svarupa; every emergent being is thus a play-form of the Lord. Sruti-parayanata (devotion to hearing scriptural teaching) is itself a mode of smarana (remembrance) and sufficient for liberation within the grace-path.
- Śrīdharabhakti
Sridhara introduces this verse as showing the path for the ati-manda-adhikari: those unable to directly realize the atman as upadrastr (witness) through sankhya-yoga or meditation can still transcend samsara by hearing from an acarya with sraddha and meditating accordingly. The sanyoga of ksetra and ksetrajna is the efficient cause of every birth; understanding this causal nexus dissolves attachment to the products of that union. Gradual but certain liberation (sanair atitranti) awaits even those who rely entirely on guru-upadesa.
- Madhusūdanaadvaita-bhakti
Madhusudan marks manda-tara (the still-lesser aspirants) as the audience, distinguished by the word 'tu' from the three types named in the preceding verse. They cannot independently reason their way to self-knowledge, yet by receiving guru-upadesa with sraddha and resting entirely in sruti-paravayana (the hearing of scripture as highest resort), they too cross mrtyu. The compassionate acarya's transmission compensates for the student's lack of independent viveka (discrimination), and that sraddha-fuelled hearing is itself a form of bhakti adequate to liberation.