Haiku #31

Know this body as

the ‘Kshetra’, place of action,

And you the knower… // 13 – 1 //

Bhagwaan after 12 chapters talk about the body, itself. He says that this body is nothing but a ‘Kshetra’ – the field where (through which) action takes place. And the one who understands this, is the “knower” (Kshetradnya).

He has clarified what this body is for through this shlok. It is to perform action and be a doer. So can I run away from my responsibilities? Can I just try to perform hard and physically draining penances and cause harm to it? The day we know the answer to these and many such questions, we know ourselves. We know Him.

The shlok for your reference :

इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते ।
एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहु: क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विद: ।।

The Supreme Divine Lord said: O Arjun, this body is termed as kṣhetra (the field of activities), and the one who knows this body is called kṣhetrajña (the knower of the field) by the sages who discern the truth about both.

– Astu –