Bhagavad Gita chapter 13 in English and Sanskrit

Chapter 13, 35 verse records. English translation by Shri Purohit Swami, with Swami Sivananda used where identified in the source dataset.

The Gita is traditionally described as 700 verses. This source edition contains 701 records because chapter 13 includes 35 verses; verse numbering differs between editions.

Bhagavad Gita 13.1

"Arjuna asked: My Lord! Who is God and what is Nature; what is Matter and what is the Self; what is that they call Wisdom, and what is it that is worth knowing? I wish to have this explained.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अर्जुन उवाच | प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव क्षेत्रं क्षेत्रज्ञमेव च | एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामि ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं च केशव ||१३-१||

arjuna uvāca . prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva kṣetraṃ kṣetrajñameva ca . etadveditumicchāmi jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ ca keśava ||13-1||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.2

Lord Shri Krishna replied: O Arjuna! The body of man is the playground of the Self; and That which knows the activities of Matter, sages call the Self.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

श्रीभगवानुवाच | इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते | एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः ||१३-२||

śrībhagavānuvāca . idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate . etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ ||13-2||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.3

I am the Omniscient self that abides in the playground of Matter; knowledge of Matter and of the all-knowing Self is wisdom.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत | क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोर्ज्ञानं यत्तज्ज्ञानं मतं मम ||१३-३||

kṣetrajñaṃ cāpi māṃ viddhi sarvakṣetreṣu bhārata . kṣetrakṣetrajñayorjñānaṃ yattajjñānaṃ mataṃ mama ||13-3||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.4

What is called Matter, of what it is composed, whence it came, and why it changes, what the Self is, and what Its power - this I will now briefly set forth.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

तत्क्षेत्रं यच्च यादृक्च यद्विकारि यतश्च यत् | स च यो यत्प्रभावश्च तत्समासेन मे शृणु ||१३-४||

tatkṣetraṃ yacca yādṛkca yadvikāri yataśca yat . sa ca yo yatprabhāvaśca tatsamāsena me śṛṇu ||13-4||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.5

Seers have sung of It in various ways, in many hymns and sacred Vedic songs, weighty in thought and convincing in argument.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक् | ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः ||१३-५||

ṛṣibhirbahudhā gītaṃ chandobhirvividhaiḥ pṛthak . brahmasūtrapadaiścaiva hetumadbhirviniścitaiḥ ||13-5||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.6

The five great fundamentals (earth, fire, air, water and ether), personality, intellect, the mysterious life force, the ten organs of perception and action, the mind and the five domains of sensation;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च | इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ||१३-६||

mahābhūtānyahaṃkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca . indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ ||13-6||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.7

Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, sympathy, vitality and the persistent clinging to life, these are in brief the constituents of changing Matter.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं संघातश्चेतना धृतिः | एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ||१३-७||

icchā dveṣaḥ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ saṃghātaścetanā dhṛtiḥ . etatkṣetraṃ samāsena savikāramudāhṛtam ||13-7||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.8

Humility, sincerity, harmlessness, forgiveness, rectitude, service of the Master, purity, steadfastness, self-control;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् | आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रहः ||१३-८||

amānitvamadambhitvamahiṃsā kṣāntirārjavam . ācāryopāsanaṃ śaucaṃ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ ||13-8||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.9

Renunciation of the delights of sense, absence of pride, right understanding of the painful problem of birth and death, of age and sickness;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च | जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ||१३-९||

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyamanahaṃkāra eva ca . janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam ||13-9||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.10

Indifference, non-attachment to sex, progeny or home, equanimity in good fortune and in bad;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्गः पुत्रदारगृहादिषु | नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु ||१३-१०||

asaktiranabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu . nityaṃ ca samacittatvamiṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu ||13-10||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.11

Unswerving devotion to Me, by concentration on Me and Me alone, a love for solitude, indifference to social life;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी | विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ||१३-११||

mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī . viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||13-11||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.12

Constant yearning for the knowledge of Self, and pondering over the lessons of the great Truth - this is Wisdom, all else ignorance.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् | एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ||१३-१२||

adhyātmajñānanityatvaṃ tattvajñānārthadarśanam . etajjñānamiti proktamajñānaṃ yadato.anyathā ||13-12||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.13

I will speak to thee now of that great Truth which man ought to know, since by its means he will win immortal bliss - that which is without beginning, the Eternal Spirit which dwells in Me, neither with form, nor yet without it.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते | अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ||१३-१३||

jñeyaṃ yattatpravakṣyāmi yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute . anādi matparaṃ brahma na sattannāsaducyate ||13-13||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.14

Everywhere are Its hands and Its feet; everywhere It has eyes that see, heads that think and mouths that speak; everywhere It listens; It dwells in all the worlds; It envelops them all.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् | सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ||१३-१४||

sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tatsarvato.akṣiśiromukham . sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvamāvṛtya tiṣṭhati ||13-14||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.15

Beyond the senses, It yet shines through every sense perception. Bound to nothing, It yet sustains everything. Unaffected by the Qualities, It still enjoys them all.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्जितम् | असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ||१३-१५||

sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaṃ sarvendriyavivarjitam . asaktaṃ sarvabhṛccaiva nirguṇaṃ guṇabhoktṛ ca ||13-15||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.16

It is within all beings, yet outside; motionless yet moving; too subtle to be perceived; far away yet always near.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

बहिरन्तश्च भूतानामचरं चरमेव च | सूक्ष्मत्वात्तदविज्ञेयं दूरस्थं चान्तिके च तत् ||१३-१६||

bahirantaśca bhūtānāmacaraṃ carameva ca . sūkṣmatvāttadavijñeyaṃ dūrasthaṃ cāntike ca tat ||13-16||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.17

In all beings undivided, yet living in division, It is the upholder of all, Creator and Destroyer alike;

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् | भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ||१३-१७||

avibhaktaṃ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktamiva ca sthitam . bhūtabhartṛ ca tajjñeyaṃ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||13-17||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.18

It is the Light of lights, beyond the reach of darkness; the Wisdom, the only thing that is worth knowing or that wisdom can teach; the Presence in the hearts of all.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते | ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||१३-१८||

jyotiṣāmapi tajjyotistamasaḥ paramucyate . jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam ||13-18||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.19

Thus I have told thee in brief what Matter is, and the Self worth realising and what is Wisdom. He who is devoted to Me knows; and assuredly he will enter into Me.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः | मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ||१३-१९||

iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ . madbhakta etadvijñāya madbhāvāyopapadyate ||13-19||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.20

Know thou further that Nature and God have no beginning; and that differences of character and quality have their origin in Nature only.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि | विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ||१३-२०||

prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādi ubhāvapi . vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisambhavān ||13-20||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.21

Nature is the Law which generates cause and effect; God is the source of the enjoyment of all pleasure and pain.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते | पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ||१३-२१||

kāryakāraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate . puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate ||13-21||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.22

God dwelling in the heart of Nature experiences the Qualities which nature brings forth; and His affinity towards the Qualities is the reason for His living in a good or evil body.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् | कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ||१३-२२||

puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān . kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo.asya sadasadyonijanmasu ||13-22||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.23

Thus in the body of man dwells the Supreme God; He who sees and permits, upholds and enjoys, the Highest God and the Highest Self.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वरः | परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुषः परः ||१३-२३||

upadraṣṭānumantā ca bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ . paramātmeti cāpyukto dehe.asminpuruṣaḥ paraḥ ||13-23||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.24

He who understands God and Nature along with her qualities, whatever be his condition in life, he comes not again to earth.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह | सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ||१३-२४||

ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥ saha . sarvathā vartamāno.api na sa bhūyo.abhijāyate ||13-24||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.25

Some realise the Supreme by meditating, by its aid, on the Self within, others by pure reason, others by right action.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना | अन्ये साङ्ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ||१३-२५||

dhyānenātmani paśyanti kecidātmānamātmanā . anye sāṅkhyena yogena karmayogena cāpare ||13-25||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.26

Others again, having no direct knowledge but only hearing from others, nevertheless worship, and they, too, if true to the teachings, cross the sea of death.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते | तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ||१३-२६||

anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate . te.api cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ ||13-26||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.27

Wherever life is seen in things movable or immovable, it is the joint product of Matter and Spirit.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यावत्सञ्जायते किञ्चित्सत्त्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् | क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञसंयोगात्तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ ||१३-२७||

yāvatsañjāyate kiñcitsattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam . kṣetrakṣetrajñasaṃyogāttadviddhi bharatarṣabha ||13-27||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.28

He who can see the Supreme Lord in all beings, the Imperishable amidst the perishable, he it is who really sees.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् | विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ||१३-२८||

samaṃ sarveṣu bhūteṣu tiṣṭhantaṃ parameśvaram . vinaśyatsvavinaśyantaṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||13-28||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.29

Beholding the Lord in all things equally, his actions do not mar his spiritual life but lead him to the height of Bliss.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् | न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ||१३-२९||

samaṃ paśyanhi sarvatra samavasthitamīśvaram . na hinastyātmanātmānaṃ tato yāti parāṃ gatim ||13-29||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.30

He who understands that it is only the Law of Nature that brings action to fruition, and that the Self never acts, alone knows the Truth.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः | यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ||१३-३०||

prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ . yaḥ paśyati tathātmānamakartāraṃ sa paśyati ||13-30||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.31

He who sees the diverse forms of life all rooted in One, and growing forth from Him, he shall indeed find the Absolute.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति | तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ||१३-३१||

yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati . tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma sampadyate tadā ||13-31||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.32

The Supreme Spirit, O Prince, is without beginning, without Qualities and Imperishable, and though it be within the body, yet It does not act, nor is It affected by action.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः | शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ||१३-३२||

anāditvānnirguṇatvātparamātmāyamavyayaḥ . śarīrastho.api kaunteya na karoti na lipyate ||13-32||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.33

As space, though present everywhere, remains by reason of its subtlety unaffected, so the Self, though present in all forms, retains its purity unalloyed.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते | सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ||१३-३३||

yathā sarvagataṃ saukṣmyādākāśaṃ nopalipyate . sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate ||13-33||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.34

As the one Sun illuminates the whole earth, so the Lord illumines the whole universe.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः | क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत ||१३-३४||

yathā prakāśayatyekaḥ kṛtsnaṃ lokamimaṃ raviḥ . kṣetraṃ kṣetrī tathā kṛtsnaṃ prakāśayati bhārata ||13-34||

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Bhagavad Gita 13.35

Those who with the eyes of wisdom thus see the difference between Matter and Spirit, and know how to liberate Life from the Law of Nature, they attain the Supreme."

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा | भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ||१३-३५||

kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā . bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param ||13-35||

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Source dataset: Vedic Scriptures. See translation attribution.