Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : Ch-13, Slo-21, Discussion-1.

06/07/2018
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :

Chapter-13. ( Kshetra-kshetrajna-vibhaga-yogam)

Slokam-21. ( When the puruṣh (individual soul) seated in prakṛiti (the material energy) desires to enjoy the three guṇas, attachment to them becomes the cause of its birth in superior and inferior wombs. )

"puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān,
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu."

puruṣhaḥ—the individual soul;
prakṛiti-sthaḥ—seated in the material energy;
hi—indeed;
bhuṅkte—desires to enjoy;
prakṛiti-jān—produced by the material energy;
guṇān—the three modes of nature;
kāraṇam—the cause;
guṇa-saṅgaḥ—the attachment (to three guṇas);
asya—of its;
sat-asat-yoni—in superior and inferior wombs;
janmasu—of birth


Discussion :- 1.

Here the word Purusa should be understood to refer to the jiva or embodied living entities. In previous verses both the Supreme Lord and the jivas have been referred to as Purusa. Hence this clarification is required to understand this verse in the proper context.

Thus the jiva enjoys the attributes of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence. This statement by the Supreme Lord Krishna effectively eradicates the arguments of those whose conjecture is that the relationship of the physical body and its organs of the senses interacting with sense objects as instruments of action are illusory.

The word hi meaning certainly is used to emphasise that the conjecture of illusion in this case is contrary to actual experience. It has never been observed by the greatest of minds that internal experiences knowledge and ignorance, pleasure and pain are the products of delusion.

That these are illusory is unacceptable to both the spiritual mind and the rational mind. Only those minds which are preoccupied with the external concerns of the physical body are susceptible to illusion; but never those who are devoted to atma tattva or knowledge of the immortal soul and the divine internal spiritual experience.

It should be pointed out that even external conceptions should only be considered illusory when discrimination is accurately used in verification. If it ever were established that the internal consciousness perfectly perceived by those who are self-realised as eternal are illusory then all that has been collaborated and confirmed by the imperishable Vedic scriptures would also have to be considered illusory and that is impossible as they are the only authorised and verifiable proof in all of creation and anything whatsoever contrary to the Vedic scriptures is absolutely illusory.

It must be understood that illusion is only present in the empirical world of material existence.

Thus any proof that could be given must also be empirical and thus determining whether anything is illusory in absence of any contrary evidence must be determined exclusively by the conclusions of the Vedic scriptures.

To be continued ..