That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings. It is especially presented in Vedanta-sutra with all reasoning as to cause and effect.
Commentary by Srila Prabhupada
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the highest authority in explaining this knowledge. Still, as a matter of course, learned scholars and standard authorities always give evidence from previous authorities. Krishna is explaining this most controversial point regarding the duality and nonduality of the soul and the Supersoul by referring to a scripture, the Vedanta, which is accepted as authority. First He says, “This is according to different sages.” As far as the sages are concerned, besides Himself, Vyasadeva (the author of the Vedanta-sutra) is a great sage, and in the Vedanta-sutra duality is perfectly explained. And Vyasadeva’s father, Parashara, is also a great sage, and he writes in his books of religiosity, aham tvam ca tathanye. .. “we—you, I and the various other living entities—are all transcendental, although in material bodies. Now we are fallen into the ways of the three modes of material nature according to our different karma. As such, some are on higher levels, and some are in the lower nature.
The higher and lower natures exist due to ignorance and are being manifested in an infinite number of living entities. But the Supersoul, which is infallible, is uncontaminated by the three qualities of nature and is transcendental.”
Similarly, in the original Vedas, a distinction between the soul, the Supersoul and the body is made, especially in the Katha Upanishad. There are many great sages who have explained this, and Parashara is considered principal among them.
The word chandobhih refers to the various Vedic literatures. The Taittiriya Upanishad, for example, which is a branch of the Yajur Veda, describes nature, the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As stated before, kshetra is the field of activities, and there are two kinds of kshetra-jna: the individual living entity and the supreme living entity. As stated in the Taittiriya Upanishad (2.9), brahma puccham pratishtha. There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s energy known as anna-maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is a materialistic realization of the Supreme. Then, in prana-maya, after realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in food, one can realize the Absolute Truth in the living symptoms or life forms. In jnana-maya, realization extends beyond the living symptoms to the point of thinking, feeling and willing. Then there is Brahman realization, called vijnana-maya, in which the living entity’s mind and life symptoms are distinguished from the living entity himself. The next and supreme stage is ananda-maya, realization of the all-blissful nature. Thus there are five stages of Brahman realization, which are called brahma puccham. Out of these, the first three—anna-maya, prana-maya and jnana-maya—involve the fields of activities of the living entities. Transcendental to all these fields of activities is the Supreme Lord, who is called ananda-maya. The Vedanta-sutra also describes the Supreme by saying, ananda-mayo ’bhyasat: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature full of joy. To enjoy His transcendental bliss, He expands into vijnana-maya, prana-maya, jnana-maya and anna-maya. In the field of activities the living entity is considered to be the enjoyer, and different from him is the ananda-maya. That means that if the living entity decides to enjoy in dovetailing himself with the ananda-maya, then he becomes perfect. This is the real picture of the Supreme Lord as the supreme knower of the field, the living entity as the subordinate knower, and the nature of the field of activities. One has to search for this truth in the Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra.
It is mentioned here that the codes of the Brahma-sutra are very nicely arranged according to cause and effect. Some of the sutras, or aphorisms, are na viyad asruteh (2.3.2), natma sruteh (2.3.18), and parat tu tac-chruteh (2.3.40). The first aphorism indicates the field of activities, the second indicates the living entity, and the third indicates the Supreme Lord, the summum bonum among all the manifestations of various entities.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
"You are describing this briefly. Who then has described this in detail?"
It has been described by rsis such as Vasistha in the scriptures dealing with yoga, by the Vedas (chandobhih) and by the words of the Brahma Sutras. The Brahma Sutras, through their words (padaih) such as athato brahma jijnasa (Vedanta Sutra 1.1) make known (padyate) Brahman. But what type of words are they? They are words of logic (hetumadbhir), which are very decisive (visesatah niscitaih). Examples are as follows:
iksater nasabdam
Brahman is not inexpressible by words, because it is seen that he is conveyed through the words in the Vedas. Vedanta Sutra 1.1.5
anandamayo 'bhyasat
The word anandamaya refers to para brahman because of the repeated use of the word brahman in relation to it. Vedanta Sutra 1.1.13
Special Offer: The Bhagavad Gita
beautifully sung on MP3 CD
Now you can listen to the ancient sanskrit chants of Bhagavad Gita, sung in classical melodies by noted devotional singer Sri Vidyabhushana. Listen to all 700 verses of the Gita with a beautiful accompaniment of flute, veena, sitar, mridanga, tabla and tala.
Listen to sample (Bhagavad Gita chapter four):
Special Offer: $24.95 (with free postage to anywhere in the world)
Email to Friend
Print Article