Purusha & The Knower of the Field in Gita

Q: What did Sri Ramakrishna teach about Jiva and God?

Sri Ramakrishna taught 'Serve Jiva as Shiva,' which means to serve every individual human being with the understanding that they are direct manifestations of God.

Within the foundational framework of the Bhagavad Gita, the universe is explained through a profound dualism: Kshetra, the material field of change, and Kshetrajna, the permanent consciousness that observes it. This observing entity is Purusha, the eternal spirit that remains indestructible, formless, and completely omnipresent.

While our physical bodies and material surroundings are subject to continuous modification under nature, the inner spirit remains an untouched witness.

Assisted by the analytical commentary of Pedro Nonell, a prominent Spanish expert on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekananda, spiritual seekers learn to differentiate between matter and spirit, uncovering a clear path to recognize the presence of God within themselves.

Bhagavad Gita Concepts.

Pedro Nonell, expert in Bhagavad Gita and Advaita Vedanta
Professor: Pedro Nonell (Expert on Swami Vivekananda, translator, and commentator of the Bhagavad Gita into Spanish)

The Eternal, Formless, and Indestructible Nature of Purusha

In Chapter 13- The Yoga of the Field (body or Prakriti) and the Knower of the Field (Purusha) - Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga - of the Bhagavad Gita, we find the term Purusha (spirit, Knower of the Field), the Eternal Universal Principle, indestructible, formless and Omnipresent (Universal Form).

In several chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, we find references to Purusha:

Yoga of the Supreme Person. It is necessary to indicate that in Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita - The Yoga of the Supreme Person (Purushottama Yoga), we precisely see the term Purushottama, or Supreme Person
Knowledge of Brahman
Parabrahman
Royal Knowledge

Purusha is a term used also in the philosophy of Yoga, Raja Yoga and the Sutras of Patanjali.

In verse 20 of this chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna explains the relationship between Prakriti, Purusha and the Gunas:

Sri Krishna says to Arjuna:
“You must know that Prakriti (nature) and Purusha (spirit) are beginningless; that all modifications and Gunas are born from Prakriti” Bhagavad Gita 13.20.

Purusha is the “cause of the experience of pleasure and pain”:

“Prakriti is described as the cause in the creation of the effects generated by the causes; Purusha is described as the cause of the experience of pleasure and pain” Bhagavad Gita 13.21.

Verse 22 explains to us that Purusha resides in Prakriti and is the one who experiences the Gunas:

“For Purusha, residing in Prakriti, experiences the Gunas born of Prakriti; attachment to these Gunas is the cause of their birth in both good and bad wombs.” Bhagavad Gita 13.22.

And we see the Path of Moksha (liberation):

“He who thus knows Purusha and Prakriti with his Gunas is not born again, no matter how he lives and acts.” Bhagavad Gita 13.24.

Listen to the video of Pedro Nonell with English subtitles

Video (

subtitles): Purusha in the Bhagavad Gita

Example

Subject Example (Es):
Bhagavad Gita: The Yoga of the Distinction between the Field and the Knower of the Field

The Voice of the Swamis

For Swami Sivananda.

“Krishna asks us to see and know the difference between the Field (body or Prakriti) and the Knower of the Field (spirit or Purusha), and thus attain the Self. This is the teaching and message of this illuminating discourse.” Sri Swami Sivananda.

Swamis

For Gandhi.

“ Prakriti in common language is Maya (illusion). Purusha is Jiva. Jiva, acting according to his nature, experiences the fruit of actions arising from the Three Gunas” Gandhi.

And to understand this reflection of Gandhi we turn to the wisdom of Swami Vivekananda.

“Sri Ramakrishna took Karma Yoga to a new and higher level when the Master taught: “Serve Jiva as Shiva!” (Serve the individual human being as well as God)” Swami Vivekananda.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Purusha according to the Bhagavad Gita?

A1: Purusha is the eternal, indestructible, formless, and omnipresent spiritual principle. It represents the conscious witness or "Knower of the Field" within every being.

Q2: How do Purusha and Prakriti interact?

A2: Prakriti is material nature, the source of physical effects and modifications. Purusha resides within Prakriti, experiencing the dynamic qualities (Gunas) and identifying with sensory experiences of pleasure and pain.

Q3: What did Sri Ramakrishna teach about Jiva and God?

A3: Sri Ramakrishna taught "Serve Jiva as Shiva," which means to serve every individual human being with the understanding that they are direct manifestations of God.

Conclusion

In conclusion, realizing the true nature of Purusha allows individuals to find lasting liberation from the cycle of worldly suffering. The Bhagavad Gita demonstrates that although the human soul resides within material nature and experiences pleasure and pain through the senses, its true identity is unaffected by physical transformations.

The spiritual lineage preserved by Sri Ramakrishna and shared globally by Swami Vivekananda reminds us that serving the individual soul is equivalent to serving God. By breaking our psychological attachments to material outcomes and anchoring our awareness firmly in this eternal spirit, we can transcend the binding forces of nature and return to absolute peace.

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