KShEtra and kShEtrajña

[gokulkr]

A special aspect of the Gita concept of God is the aspect of avatAra or incarnation. Sri Krishna clearly declares that he takes incarnations by his own (34) will. He further informs that whenever dharma is on the decline, he takes incarnations to revive dharma and to ward off adharma (IV 6, 7). Whilestating this, he makes one point clear viz., his incarnationforms are neither different from his original form norinferior to it. These are only manifestations. His nature ofbeing unborn or unchanged is not affected by it. He warns thatto take his incarnations as human forms is unwise andirreligious. Therefore, the idea of some commentators that hisincarnations are inferior saguNa forms and his

nirguNa natureis highest is not correct. He is guNapUrNa in his originalform as well as incarnations. The idea that God or Brahmanis nirguNa is nowhere to be found in Gita. The expressionsnirguNa, guNAtIta etc. refer to the fact of God being freefrom the prAkrtaguNas viz., satva, rajas and tamas. This isclear from the statement 'nirguNam guNa bhoktr cha'. He isfree from prAkrtaguNa but possesses aprAkrta guNas such as Ananda. In almost all references to God, Krishna clearlydescribes himself as God and brings out the supremacy of God.Therefore, it is not correct to say that Krishna represents only saguNa brahma stage and nirguNa brahman is above him.The idea of two levels of Brahman is not at all found inGita. We may note the passages like 'mattah parataram nAsti','na tvatsamosti abhyadhikah', 'param brahma paramam bhavAn'etc. in this connection.

 

 

Another question that is sometimes raised is whether God.is personal or impersonal.

God is not personal in the sense of having a material or prAkrtaform. His personality has no physical apparatus. But he ispersonal in the sense of a conscious, willing, active personalitywith aprAkrta form.

 

Thus, Gita concept of God is monotheistic. There is oneSupreme and independent God who governs the entire universein all respects.

 

 

KShEtra and kShEtrajña:

 

Another important aspect of the God delineated in Gita iskShEtrajna aspect. Gita informs us that sharIra is kShetra and hewho knows it is kShetrajna (36) (XIII-2).Here, the word kShetra should not be taken in the limited senseof body and kShetrajna in the sense of Jiva. In the very nextverse, we are clearly told that kShEtrajna is God. 'kShEtrajnam

cha api mAm viddhi' is a clear statement. Prakrti, Mahat,ahankAra, bhUtas, indriyAs, the objects of these indriyas andeven the mental states like joy, sorrow etc., the body and mind,all these constitute kShEtra (XIII-6,7). Thus the scope of kShEtrais much wider than mere body. kShEtra with such wide scope iscalled sharIra, not in the sense of body, but in the sense thatit has two important features viz. shar and Ira. shar means that which tortures the Jiva, Ira means that which is directed by God. Prakrti, Mahat etc., listed above as kShEtra tortures the Jiva and are directed by God. Therefore, this entire set up of prakrti and its evolutes is called sharIra. It is not merely body. Jiva is also included in kShEtra. Jiva is called sharIra in the shruti 'yasya AtmA sharIram'. Therefore, when sharIra is called kShEtra, Jiva is also included. The entire chetana and achetana is

kShEtra and God is kShEtrajna. There is another sense of kShEtra. LakShmI is called kShEtra and God is kShEtrajna in the verse 'kShEtra kShEtrajna samyogAt' (XIII-27). Here, it is stated that all beings are created by the contact between LakShmI and God . This fact is also stated in the verse 'mama yonih mahad brahma' etc. Thus, kShEtra stands for the entire chetana and achetana.It also means LakShmI. KShEtrajna is God in all contexts. Theeffort of some commentators to restrict the meaning of kShetra to body and kShEtrajna to Jiva in one verse and take it as entire achetana and Ishvara in another verse and justify this difference by introducing the doctrine of Jiva-brahmaikya is unwarranted.