Yoga through Distinguishing the Field and the Knower of the Field
Verse 13.17
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम्।भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च।।13.17।।
avibhaktaṁ cha bhūteṣhu vibhaktam iva cha sthitam bhūta-bhartṛi cha taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣhṇu prabhaviṣhṇu cha
Word Meanings
avibhaktam—indivisible; cha—although; bhūteṣhu—amongst living beings; vibhaktam—divided; iva—apparently; cha—yet; sthitam—situated; bhūta-bhartṛi—the sustainer of all beings; cha—also; tat—that; jñeyam—to be known; grasiṣhṇu—the annihilator; prabhaviṣhṇu—the creator; cha—and
Translation · English
Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Lord Krishna reveals the paradoxical nature of the Ultimate Reality (Brahman/Kshetrajna) which underlies the manifest universe. While the Knower of the Field appears fragmented across the infinite variety of forms, species, and individual consciousnesses, this division is merely a superimposition—a play of Maya. Just as the sun remains one despite being reflected in countless drops of water, the Divine essence remains indivisibly whole while seemingly partitioned within the vessels of sentient beings. This realization is the cornerstone of Advaita Vedanta, shifting the seeker's perception from identifying with the fleeting 'Field' to recognizing the unchanging, singular Subject. Furthermore, Krishna describes this Reality as the alpha and omega of existence: the Sustainer (bhūta-bhartṛi), the Creator (prabhaviṣhṇu), and the Annihilator (grasiṣhṇu). This emphasizes that the Divine is not a distant bystander but the very substrate of every experience, orchestrating the cyclic flow of time and matter. By meditating on this verse, the seeker learns to see beyond the surface level of duality and begins to perceive the singular thread of divinity that binds the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of all things into one seamless, eternal reality.
True wisdom lies in perceiving the indivisible Divine as the underlying substrate that remains untouched despite the apparent fragmentation of the material world.
Connected Verses
Defines the mode of goodness as the ability to see one eternal, undivided reality existing within all separate, divided beings.
Describes the all-pervading nature of the Lord, who exists in all beings while simultaneously remaining transcendental to them.
Uses the analogy of beads on a thread to describe how the Divine supports the entire manifestation.
Establishes that the transient (Field) has no real existence, while the permanent (Knower) is the only reality.
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