Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 – Summary
Description of the Glory of the Supreme God
Special Note: Chapter 13 of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is entirely filled with the glory of the Supreme God who is different from the speaker of the Gita. In Chapter 12, the Gita’s speaker, Kaal Brahm, described his own greatness, whereas Chapter 13 reveals the greatness of a higher, fully capable Supreme God.
Definition of Kshetra and Kshetragya
In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13 verses 1 to 6, the description is given of the body (kshetra), the disorders within the body (lust, anger, greed, attachment, ego, etc.), the formless state, the ten senses, and their objects such as sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. One who knows all these causes is called Kshetragya (the knower of the field, a true learned one). The speaker of the Gita says: “Know that Kshetragya to be Me.”
The word “pind” means body, which is referred to as kshetra. Kshetragya means one who knows the body—who understands which Supreme Being resides in which lotus (chakra) and where the Sushumna passage is located. One who has knowledge of these lotuses is called a true Kshetragya (knower of the body). This knowledge is described in Vedic verses, and many sages have also explained it.
Other-Deity Worship Declared as Adulterous Devotion
In Gita Chapter 13 verses 7 to 11, it is said that one who remains unaffected by honor and dishonor, avoids showy worship, practices non-violence, forgiveness, service to the Guru with devotion, inner purity, complete detachment, and has no attachment to wife, children, wealth, or outcomes—such a person practices pure devotion.
Worship of multiple deities is declared adulterous devotion, comparable to a woman who does not remain devoted to one husband and therefore gains no respect. True devotion is exclusive worship of one Supreme God. Worship of all deities together is labeled vyabhicharini bhakti (adulterous devotion).
Practices such as intoxication, alcohol, tobacco, meat, drugs, hatred, duality, deity worship, fasting, pilgrimages, river bathing, circumambulation of Govardhan, and idol worship are described as ignorance, not true devotion.
Only the Supreme God Is Worth Knowing and Worshipping
In Gita Chapter 13 verses 12 to 18, Kaal Brahm states that he will now describe that Supreme God, by knowing whom one attains eternal bliss and immortality.
That Supreme God is beginningless, Param Akshar Brahm (Satpurush), who is neither perishable (asat) nor imperishable in the conventional sense (sat), because He is distinct from both. As stated in Gita 15:16–17, there are:
- One perishable being (Kshar Purush / Kaal Brahm)
- One imperishable being (Akshar Purush)
- And beyond both, a Supreme Imperishable God, who sustains all worlds.
When it is said that He has hands, feet, eyes, and ears everywhere, it means He is all-pervading. Nothing lies beyond His reach or vision.
Sant Garibdas Ji Maharaj says:
“Within a fraction of His being, the entire creation exists— Such is our Complete Brahm.”
Supreme God as the Source of All Power
That Supreme God knows all senses yet is detached from them. He created Brahm (Kaal) Himself. As stated in Gita Chapter 3 verses 14–15, Brahm was born from the Imperishable Supreme God, who is present in all sacrifices and grants their results.
Although He resides in Satlok, He governs all creation through His formless power. Because He is extremely subtle and beyond perception, He cannot be known without a complete Guru.
He is both near (present in the heart of every being) and far (residing in Satlok). Without initiation from a true Guru who gives Satnam and Saarnaam, His realization is impossible.
Nature and Supreme God Are Both Beginningless
In Gita Chapter 13 verse 19, it is said that Prakriti (Primordial Nature) and Purush (Supreme God) are both beginningless. All qualities (rajgun, satgun, tamgun), and all vices (lust, anger, greed, attachment, hatred) arise from Prakriti.
The Supreme God existed alone in the Nameless Realm initially. All souls resided within Him. Later, He created Agam Lok, Alakh Lok, and Satlok by His Word Power.
Cause of Birth, Action, and Suffering
In Gita 13:20, Nature is said to be the cause of creation and actions, while the Supreme God is the cause of pleasure and pain, because without proper devotion received from a complete Guru, even He does not remove suffering.
In Gita 13:21–22, it is explained that the Supreme God:
- Is the Witness
- The Permitter
- The Sustainer
- The Enjoyer of offerings
- And the Supreme Lord (Maheshwar)
He is distinct from the soul yet resides within the body.
True Knowledge Leads to Liberation
In Gita Chapter 13 verse 23, one who correctly understands Supreme God, Nature, and the three gunas, and worships the Supreme God properly, does not take birth again.
Errors by Other Translators
Many translators incorrectly state that the soul itself is the Supreme God, which is declared a grave error caused by lack of true spiritual knowledge. Correct interpretation shows that another Supreme God exists within the body along with the soul.
Self-Created Worship Is Futile
In Gita Chapter 13 verse 24, meditation, knowledge yoga, and action yoga are described—but without Satnam and Saarnaam, liberation is impossible. Kaal Brahm gives only Om (Omkār), which leads merely to temporary heavens, not complete liberation.
Kabir Sahib says:
“Why regret later? You sowed a thorny tree—how will mangoes grow?”
Education Is Not Required for Liberation
In Gita Chapter 13 verse 25, it is clarified that even uneducated devotees can attain liberation if their worship is according to scriptures and received from a complete Saint.
Supreme God Alone Is Imperishable
In Gita Chapter 13 verses 27–28, one who understands the Supreme God as imperishable and equally present everywhere avoids spiritual suicide and attains complete liberation through a true Guru.
Final Teaching of Chapter 13
In Gita Chapter 13 verse 34, it is concluded that one who understands:
- The body (kshetra)
- The knower of the body (Kaal)
- And the Supreme God beyond both
—becomes free from Nature and escapes the trap of Kaal, attaining complete liberation and eternal peace.