BG 13.5 — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 13.5Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च ।

इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥

mahā-bhūtāny ahaṃkāro buddhir avyaktam eva ca

indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriya-gocarāḥ

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

meaning

The field consists of the five great elements, the ego-sense, intellect, and the unmanifest root-matter, along with the ten sense and action organs, mind as the eleventh, and the five objects of sense.

ekras · bhāṣya

The five great elements; ahamkara, the ego-principle; buddhi, intellect; avyakta, the unmanifest root-matter; the ten indriyas — five of knowing, five of acting; manas as the eleventh; and the five indriya-gocharas — sound, touch, form, taste, smell. Twenty-four constituents in all. The chapter's Sankhya-style enumeration arrives compactly.

Shankara reads precisely. The kshetra is described in its constituent vikaras: maha-bhutas, ahamkara, buddhi, avyakta, ten indriyas plus manas, and five sense-objects. The list is not a metaphysical inventory for its own sake; it is a recognition-aid. Each item the disciple identifies as kshetra is one item the disciple will not mistake for the witness. The jnanin holds the entire field as inert and non-self; Brahman alone is the witness behind every constituent named.

Madhusudana reads the list on two registers at once. On the jnana register, ahamkara, buddhi, and the rest are vikaras of the one Brahman, to be negated through viveka. On the bhakti register, the same field becomes the stage on which Krishna's kalyana-gunas are enjoyed. The sadhaka holds both: intellectually witnessing the field as not-self, and devotionally receiving each constituent as Krishna's display.

Ramanuja reads with characteristic warmth: the five maha-bhutas, ahamkara, mahat, prakriti — the kshetra-arambhaka-dravyas, the substances that initiate the field — together with five jnanendriyas, five karmendriyas, manas, and the five tanmatras.

Bhagavan pervades each as antaryamin; every limb and sense-organ is simultaneously a locus of His immanence and an instrument of kainkarya, devoted service.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: the twenty-four tattvas constitute the inert prakriti-complex, eternally distinct from svatantra Hari who is the supreme kshetrajna. The jiva is genuinely embedded in this field as paratantra — really bound, not illusorily — until grace releases.

Vallabha reads through pushti-marga: the twenty-four tattvas are not an alien material prison but Krishna's own shakti freely extended as lila. The world is no maya to be cancelled; Brahman's ananda becomes concrete in these very forms. Each constituent is a vessel of Krishna's pervading presence; viveka recognizes them not to escape but to taste them as His.

Shridhara reads cleanly: the enumeration is Bhagavan's own pedagogy. He compassionately lists what the kshetra is so the bhakta can stop misidentifying with the field and fix the mind on the kshetrajna — who is Bhagavan Himself. Each constituent, from avyakta down to the subtle sense-objects, is a layer of garment over the atman; bhakti burns through.

Context

where

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

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 13.4

The sages have sung of this truth in many ways and through many Vedic hymns, and the Brahma-sūtra has settled it with precise, reasoned arguments.

What's going on

Sūtras through this verse (54)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

13.1Two niṣṭhās, three kāṇḍas — keystone.───→here13.5───→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.───→here13.5───→13.32Touches without being stained.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

13.2Architectural claim: the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.5───→14.1Two-verse prelude names guṇa-vibhāga.

show all 54

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

13.1Vākyārtha hexad begins. Anchor.───→here13.5───→15.20Whole teaching named guhyatamaṃ śāstram.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

13.1Ch 13 opens by binding to the middle hexad.───→here13.5───→18.1Final chapter compresses seed and answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

13.1Boundary protected by stylized doubt.───→here13.5───→18.66Closing verse opened by doubt-and-answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyatebetween

12.12Bhakta's gradient read as description.───→here13.5───→13.7Twenty jñāna-qualities: still description.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousbetween

13.1Prakṛti's autonomy blocked at boundary. Anchor.───→here13.5───→14.1Modes belong to the Lord's prakṛti.

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstbetween

13.1Same discipline at the keystone chapter.───→here13.5───→18.1Final chapter opens with the same form.

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

9.27Karma-as-frame. 'Yat karoshi yad ashnasi yaj juhoshi dadasi yat, yat tapasyasi K───→here13.5───→13.7Itihasa stories and the witness virtues. 'Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa kshantir

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

9.29'Samo'ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo'sti na priyah.' I am equal in all beings;───→here13.5───→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───→here13.5───→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───→here13.5───→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.───→here13.5───→14.1Beyond sāṅkhya: the modes that bind.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśabetween

7.13Modes hide the higher.───→here13.5───→13.20Both natures beginningless.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

13.2Those who posit ajñāna in Brahman fail.───→here13.5───→18.61The yantrin reading forecloses the residue.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.───→here13.5───→18.42Even brāhmaṇa grounded here.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

12.20The devotee holds this teaching dearest.───→here13.5───→13.21Clinging to modes is why you are reborn.

RamsukhdasclassicalD

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

7.12The modes come from the Lord, not in Him.───→here13.5───→13.21Clinging to modes causes any new birth.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartbetween

10.20I am the Self in every heart.───→here13.5───→13.17The Knowable lives as the inner light.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

6.3Body, senses, and mind: none of them yours.───→here13.5───→13.20Nature causes the act; you only experience.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here13.5───→

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaapproach

───→here13.5───→13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidexit

12.12'Shreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj jnanad dhyanam vishishyate, dhyanat karma-phala-tyaga───→here13.5───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

9.9Like one detached, not actually───→here13.5───→13.30Seer of non-action by Hari's light

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvarabetween

13.3Sāṅkhya kept; the pointer is rotated.───→here13.5───→13.12Hands and feet on every side, beyond all.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

6.9Souls differ by nature not by accident alone.───→here13.5───→13.23Soul and Lord coexist in the body, not as one.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

9.9He sits like one detached, not actually detached.───→here13.5───→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.───→here13.5───→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.───→here13.5───→18.66I shall release you from every wrong.

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugebetween

9.29Even to all — yet near to those who turn.───→here13.5───→13.10A steady evenness is the seeker's mark.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

13.2I lift my devotees, so I now teach truth.───→here13.5───→14.1Now, the highest of all knowings.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personbetween

13.3The soul is part of the supreme Person.───→here13.5───→15.7The soul is My eternal part — its ānanda hidden. .

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

13.1Skipped — the next verse's prelude does the work.───→here13.5───→13.24The threefold-knower catalogue goes to silence.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentarybetween

13.2The Lord himself writes the third ṣaṭka. .───→here13.5───→15.15The bhāṣya-author is named by the Lord himself.

ŚrīdharaclassicalG

Soul as His portion, neither cut nor identicalapproach

───→here13.5───→14.26Fit for the state of brahman, not fused.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerexit

11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.───→here13.5───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerexit

11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.───→here13.5───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departureexit

11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.───→here13.5───→

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderexit

13.2The third ṣaṭka is the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.5───→

JayatīrthaclassicalA

Body and embodied — the inference runs on the dehī sidestation

───→here13.5───→

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedstation

───→here13.5───→

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablestation

───→here13.5───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

13.2One Self lights every body as one sun lights all.───→here13.5───→18.66Beginningless habit ends only with self-knowledge.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

5.29Knowing Me, all wandering ceases at once.───→here13.5───→13.34One Self, untouched, in every body.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentbetween

13.2'Cāpi' marks two — not one identity.───→here13.5───→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.───→here13.5───→18.66Counterfeit reasonings named, then rejected.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

13.1The kṣetra-question resolves 12.20's hint.───→here13.5───→18.1Tyāga-question resolves ch. 16-17's typology.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

12.20Saguṇa worship ripens into nirguṇa knowing.───→here13.5───→13.13Only the formless can be the ultimately taught.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

11.55The crystal verse names the saguṇa in absolute form.───→here13.5───→13.13Not a power-of-the-Lord; the Lord himself, formless.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingexit

11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.───→here13.5───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

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

13.1The last six work what 'are' really means.───→here13.5───→

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

6.35Practice and dispassion───→here13.5───→13.8Field-knowledge as virtues

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

5.14Lord neither acts nor causes───→here13.5───→13.20Prakriti causes, puruṣa enjoys

Śabda · lemmas (11 unique · 14 occurrences)

इन्द्रियाणि·इन्द्रिय indriya ×2 — sense, sense-organ; the eleven indriyas (5 jñānendriyas + 5 karmendriyas + manas) · nominative neuter plural noun / compound · also at 2.60, 3.7, 3.40, 3.42, 5.8, 5.9
अव्यक्तम् avyakta — unmanifest (a- + vyakta past-pple. 'manifest', from vi-√añj) · nominative neuter singular noun · also at 12.1, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5
पञ्च pañcan — five (numeral) · nominative neuter singular noun

show all 11

च ca ×3 — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
महाभूतानि mahābhūta — great element (mahā + bhūta); the five gross elements · nominative neuter plural noun
अहंकारः ahaṃkāra — ego-sense, the I-maker · nominative masculine singular noun
बुद्धिः buddhi — intellect, intelligence, discriminating faculty · nominative feminine singular noun
एव eva — indeed, truly, only (emphatic particle)
दश daśan — ten (numeral) · nominative neuter singular noun
एकम् eka — one, alone, single · nominative neuter singular noun
गोचराः gocara — range, scope ('cow-pasture', go + cara) · nominative masculine plural noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01If the body, senses, ego, and intellect are all listed as kṣetra (the known field), who exactly is doing the knowing — and what does it mean for daily self-identification?
02The verse places ahaṃkāra (ego), buddhi (intellect), and avyakta (the unmanifest ground of matter) in the same list as the physical elements — what does it mean that ego is as material as earth or water?

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03Manas (mind) appears as the eleventh indriya, not as a separate category — what does this grouping reveal about the classical Indian understanding of mind versus consciousness?
04The five indriya-gocaras (sense objects: sound, touch, form, taste, smell) are included in the field — if even the objects of perception belong to kṣetra, what falls outside the field?
05Three schools (Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaita) agree on the tattva-list but disagree radically on its ultimate status — can the same enumeration serve mutually exclusive metaphysics, and what does that tell us about the text?
06The verse is framed as a compendium of what ṛṣis, Vedas, and Brahmasūtras have elaborated — why does Kṛṣṇa point to prior authorities here rather than speaking on His own?
07Avyakta (unmanifest) is listed as a constituent of kṣetra, not as kṣetrajña — what happens to the Sāṃkhya system in which avyakta is the primordial, uncaused ground?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, notice that the anxious thought, the bodily tension, and the sense of being an 'I' who is anxious are all objects appearing in awareness — they are kṣetra, not the witness. Practice asking, even briefly: 'Who is aware of this state?' That inquiry is the Advaita entry-point the verse opens.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Before a difficult conversation, recall that your interlocutor's body, senses, and even ego are part of a field that Bhagavān inhabits as antaryāmin. Treat their distress as Bhagavān's own distress appearing through them — this is not sentimental projection but a doctrinal inference from the verse's enumeration of kṣetra as Bhagavān's body.

show all 6

Dvaita

Madhva's reading counsels rigorous honesty about dependence: your intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahaṃkāra) listed here are real but contingent faculties, not self-powered. When planning or deciding, acknowledge inwardly that the cognitive instrument is on loan from Hari — this is the practical meaning of 'field-as-dependent.'

Śuddhādvaita

The Puṣṭi-mārga application: whatever sensory pleasure arises — music, taste, beauty — do not suppress it or dissect it analytically. Instead, offer it back to Kṛṣṇa as His own energy returning to its source. The five indriya-gocaras listed in the verse are not obstacles but materials for surrender.

Bhakti

When pride arises ('I did this'), Śrīdhara's approach is gentle and devotional: point the mind at the verse's list and note that the 'I' is ahaṃkāra — an item in the field, not the devotee's true identity. Let that recognition soften the pride, then redirect the released energy toward the Lord who stands beyond the field.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's synthesis is useful for practitioners who feel torn between contemplative silence and devotional expression. The verse gives permission for both: use buddhi and manas (listed as kṣetra) to study, analyse, and discourse on Kṛṣṇa's qualities; then let the same faculties dissolve in kīrtana (devotional singing) where their field-nature is temporarily forgotten in the flood of rasa (aesthetic-spiritual relish).

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 5: Krishna to Arjuna — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga