BG 13.7 — Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 13.7Chapter 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-Vibhāga-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् ।

आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ॥

amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṃsā kṣāntir ārjavam

ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

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

meaning

Humility, sincerity, non-harm, patience, integrity, devotion to one's teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-restraint: Krishna calls all of these knowledge.

ekras · bhāṣya

Humility, sincerity, non-harm, patience, integrity, devotion to one's teacher, purity, steadiness, self-restraint. Nine qualities — and Krishna calls these jnana. The chapter's surprising move: jnana is not just metaphysical insight but a way of being, qualities that constitute fitness for what is to be known.

Shankara reads each as sadhana — equipment that makes a seeker fit, adhikrita, to realize the jneya. Amanitvam is the absence of self-display; adambhitvam the absence of pretence; ahimsa non-injury; kshanti forbearance; arjavam straightness — non-crookedness in mind, speech, action; acharyopasanam attendance on the teacher; shaucham purity outer and inner; sthairyam steadiness; atma-vinigraha self-restraint. These are jnana because without them no knowing of the kshetrajna lands.

Madhusudana holds both registers at once. The qualities are jnana-sadhanas in the Shankara sense — clearing the vikara-field so the nirvikara witness shines. They are also the natural overflow of the bhakta's love for Krishna. Amanitvam is simultaneously the philosopher's non-grasping and the lover's forgetting of self in the beloved; sthairyam is both the unshakeability regarding adhyatma-shastra truths and the steadiness of one absorbed in the Lord's lila.

Ramanuja reads each precisely as a relational virtue oriented toward Bhagavan and His devotees. Amanitvam is the absence of contempt even toward one's superiors. Acharyopasanam is full surrender to the teacher who grants atma-jnana through pranipata, pariprasna, seva — the threefold approach Krishna named in chapter 4. Shaucham is the scriptural fitness of mind, speech, and body for atma-jnana and its means. Sthairyam is unshakeable certainty regarding the truths taught in adhyatma-shastra.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: the qualities are vikaras belonging to the kshetra, not to the kshetrajna. As Jayatirtha notes, calling them jnana is calling the means by the name of the end — for these dispositions in the dependent jiva are precisely what align it correctly with the independent Hari.

Vallabha reads through pushti-marga: these qualities arise not as personal achievements but as prasada-flows from Krishna's own svabhava descending into the bhakta who has fully surrendered. Amanitvam is not an act of will but the natural dissolution of the ego-knot when Krishna's grace floods the antahkarana. Acharyopasanam is loving attendance on the one through whom Krishna's rasa reaches the world. Sthairyam is the steadiness of one absorbed in the Lord's lila.

Shridhara reads them as the inner adhikara — qualifications — that open a student to kshetra-kshetrajna-viveka. Without these the discrimination cannot stick; with them the chapter's whole teaching becomes operative.

Context

where

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

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 13.6

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the body's composite mass, awareness, and steadiness, together with their transformations, Krishna says, are the field described in brief.

What's going on

Humility, sincerity, non-harm, patience, integrity, devotion to one's teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-restraint: Krishna calls all of these knowledge.

Sūtras through this verse (54)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

13.1Two niṣṭhās, three kāṇḍas — keystone.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→13.32Touches without being stained.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

13.2Architectural claim: the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.7───→14.1Two-verse prelude names guṇa-vibhāga.

show all 54

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyatestation

───→here13.7───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

13.1Vākyārtha hexad begins. Anchor.───→here13.7───→15.20Whole teaching named guhyatamaṃ śāstram.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

13.1Ch 13 opens by binding to the middle hexad.───→here13.7───→18.1Final chapter compresses seed and answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

13.1Boundary protected by stylized doubt.───→here13.7───→18.66Closing verse opened by doubt-and-answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousbetween

13.1Prakṛti's autonomy blocked at boundary. Anchor.───→here13.7───→14.1Modes belong to the Lord's prakṛti.

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstbetween

13.1Same discipline at the keystone chapter.───→here13.7───→18.1Final chapter opens with the same form.

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Itihasa stories and the witness virtues. 'Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa kshantir station · station 5/7

───→here13.7───→

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

9.29'Samo'ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo'sti na priyah.' I am equal in all beings;───→here13.7───→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───→here13.7───→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───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→14.1Beyond sāṅkhya: the modes that bind.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśabetween

7.13Modes hide the higher.───→here13.7───→13.20Both natures beginningless.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

13.2Those who posit ajñāna in Brahman fail.───→here13.7───→18.61The yantrin reading forecloses the residue.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.───→here13.7───→18.42Even brāhmaṇa grounded here.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

12.20The devotee holds this teaching dearest.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→13.21Clinging to modes causes any new birth.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartbetween

10.20I am the Self in every heart.───→here13.7───→13.17The Knowable lives as the inner light.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

6.3Body, senses, and mind: none of them yours.───→here13.7───→13.20Nature causes the act; you only experience.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here13.7───→

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaapproach

───→here13.7───→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───→here13.7───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

9.9Like one detached, not actually───→here13.7───→13.30Seer of non-action by Hari's light

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvarabetween

13.3Sāṅkhya kept; the pointer is rotated.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→14.1Now, the highest of all knowings.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personbetween

13.3The soul is part of the supreme Person.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→13.24The threefold-knower catalogue goes to silence.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentarybetween

13.2The Lord himself writes the third ṣaṭka. .───→here13.7───→15.15The bhāṣya-author is named by the Lord himself.

ŚrīdharaclassicalG

Soul as His portion, neither cut nor identicalapproach

───→here13.7───→14.26Fit for the state of brahman, not fused.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerexit

11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.───→here13.7───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerexit

11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.───→here13.7───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departureexit

11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.───→here13.7───→

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderexit

13.2The third ṣaṭka is the Lord's own bhāṣya.───→here13.7───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

13.2One Self lights every body as one sun lights all.───→here13.7───→18.66Beginningless habit ends only with self-knowledge.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

5.29Knowing Me, all wandering ceases at once.───→here13.7───→13.34One Self, untouched, in every body.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentbetween

13.2'Cāpi' marks two — not one identity.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→18.66Counterfeit reasonings named, then rejected.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

13.1The kṣetra-question resolves 12.20's hint.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→15.16Refusing kṣara=inert, akṣara=soul.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not paraphrase.───→here13.7───→15.16Bhūta covers jīva; literal range holds.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

12.20Saguṇa worship ripens into nirguṇa knowing.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→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.───→here13.7───→

JayatīrthaclassicalA

Body and embodied — the inference runs on the dehī sideexit

13.5Field and knower: body-self cut returns.───→here13.7───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

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

13.1The last six work what 'are' really means.───→here13.7───→

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

6.35Practice and dispassion───→here13.7───→13.8Field-knowledge as virtues

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

5.14Lord neither acts nor causes───→here13.7───→13.20Prakriti causes, puruṣa enjoys

Śabda · lemmas (12 unique · 13 occurrences)

अहिंसा ahiṃsā — non-violence (a- + hiṃsā 'harming', from √hiṃs) · nominative feminine singular noun · also at 10.4, 10.5, 16.2, 17.14
स्थैर्यम् sthairya — steadiness, firmness (from sthira) · nominative neuter singular noun

show all 12

त्वम् tva ×2 — you-ness; abstract suffix making 'X-ness' from X · nominative neuter singular noun · also at 1.1, 2.33, 3.41, 4.4, 4.35, 6.31 +10
अमानि amānin — without pride (a- + mānin) · compound
अदम्भि adambhin — without hypocrisy (a- + dambhin) · compound
क्षान्तिः kṣānti — patience, forbearance (from √kṣam) · nominative feminine singular noun
आर्जवम् ārjava — uprightness, sincerity (from ṛju 'straight') · nominative neuter singular noun · also at 16.1, 17.14
आचार्य ācārya — teacher, preceptor · compound · also at 1.2, 1.3, 1.26, 1.34, 6.44
उपासनम् upāsana — worship, attendance (upa- + √ās) · nominative neuter singular noun
शौचम् śauca — purity, cleanliness (from √śuc) · nominative neuter singular noun
आत्म ātman — the Self, soul; one's own self · compound
विनिग्रहः vinigraha — restraint, control (vi- + nigraha) · nominative masculine singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01If these eight qualities are called 'jnana' rather than 'virtue', what does that tell us about the Gita's theory of knowledge — is moral preparation identical to epistemic preparation?
02Amanitvam (freedom from pride) heads the list. Why begin with pride rather than, say, non-violence — what does pride obstruct that no other flaw obstructs?

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03Acaryopasanam (attendance on the teacher) appears between arjavam and saucam. What is the structural logic of placing a social/relational practice inside a list of interior qualities?
04The list contains both negatively-framed qualities (a-manitvam, a-dambhitvam, a-himsa) and positive ones (ksanti, arjavam, sthairyam). Is the negative/positive distinction meaningful, or is it a surface feature of Sanskrit word-formation?
05Sthairyam (steadiness) and atma-vigraha (self-restraint) close the list. Are these the culminating qualities that the preceding six make possible, or is the sequence non-hierarchical?
06Six schools anchor these qualities in very different ultimate goals — liberation-as-identity (Advaita), liberation-as-loving-service (Visistadvaita), liberation-as-dependence (Dvaita), liberation-as-prasada-absorption (Pustimarga). Does the quality-list look different depending on which telos you read it toward?
07Computational question: if a retrieval substrate surfaces these eight qualities across the Gita's 700 verses, where do each re-appear — and does their distribution form a detectable structural pattern?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

Before a high-stakes meeting or presentation, practice what Sankara calls the jnana-sadhana clearing: notice which of the eight qualities is absent in you right now (pride? pretence? reactivity?). That absence is not a moral failing — it is pointing at the exact knot in the antahkarana that is blocking clear seeing. Name it, set it aside, proceed as the witness.

Dvaita

When you are tempted to take credit for a success — personal, professional, or spiritual — pause and apply adambhitvam in Madhva's register: the result came through you, not from you. The jiva is asvatantra (not self-sufficient). Say plainly what you contributed and attribute the rest accurately. This is not false modesty; it is ontological precision.

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Bhakti

Identify your current acarya — the person or text or community that is actually transmitting living knowledge to you right now, not merely information. Acaryopasanam in Sridhara's framing means pranipata (bowing), pariprasna (asking real questions), and seva (service). Which of these three is missing in your relationship with your teacher? That gap is the practice.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusudhana's synthesis offers a daily double-check: for any inner state you are experiencing right now, ask two questions simultaneously — (1) Can I witness this without being it? (jnana register) and (2) Can I offer this to Krsna as it is? (bhakti register). If both answers are yes, you are in the quality the verse describes. If either is no, you have your practice for the day.

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