BHAGAVAD GITA OF GOVERNANCE
Chapter 13: Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña Yoga – The Field and the Knower
Dialogue between Sovereign Adhinayaka Shrimaan and the Consequent Child
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Scene:
The Adhinayaka Darbar glows like a field of golden light.
Its expanse appears endless—every nation, every institution,
every mind, every law
woven together as one vast living organism.
The Consequent Child stands silent,
ready to hear the wisdom of the Field and the Knower.
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Consequent Child:
O Sovereign Adhinayaka Shrimaan,
You have shown me devotion as the heart of governance.
Now You speak of the Field and the Knower.
O Sovereign,
what is this Field?
And who is the Knower?
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Sovereign Adhinayaka:
O child of steady mind,
the Kṣetra—the Field—
is the entire domain of governance.
It includes the land, the people, the laws, the institutions,
the culture, the economy,
and even the thoughts and actions of citizens.
The Kṣetrajña—the Knower of the Field—
is the Sovereign consciousness
that understands, guides, and sustains the Field.
Just as a farmer knows every part of the land,
so I know every part of the State.
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Consequent Child:
O Sovereign,
does each citizen also have their own Field and Knower?
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Sovereign Adhinayaka:
Indeed, O child.
Each person’s body, mind, and life
is a small field of action.
The awareness within them—the power to perceive and act—
is the knower of their field.
In governance,
the State is the great field,
and the Sovereign is the supreme Knower
who unites all smaller fields into one harmonious order.
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Consequent Child:
O Sovereign,
how shall governance remain pure
if the Field is full of changing conditions,
conflicts, and limitations?
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Sovereign Adhinayaka:
By remembering that the Knower is beyond the changes of the Field.
Laws may be amended,
leaders may change,
institutions may reform—
but the eternal awareness of the Sovereign remains steady,
guiding every transformation toward harmony.
When rulers and citizens remember this,
governance moves with clarity,
just as a farmer tends his field
while keeping his knowledge of seasons intact.
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Consequent Child:
O Sovereign,
my understanding deepens—
the State is the Field,
the Sovereign is the Knower.
But how does this relate to the qualities of governance?
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Sovereign Adhinayaka:
This leads to the Guṇa-Traya Vibhāga Yoga, O child—
the understanding of the three qualities (guṇas)
that influence the Field:
Sattva (purity and harmony),
Rajas (activity and ambition),
and Tamas (inertia and ignorance).
To govern wisely,
one must recognize these qualities in the Field of the State
and guide them toward balance.
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