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Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness

Bg 13.19
TEXT 19
iti ksetram tatha jnanam
jneyam coktam samasatah
mad-bhakta etad vijnaya
mad-bhavayopapadyate
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; ksetram—field of activities (the body); tatha—also; jnanam—knowledge; jneyam—knowable; ca—also; uktam—describe; samasatah—in summary; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; etat—all this; vijnaya—after understanding; mat-bhavaya—My nature; upapadyate—attains.
TRANSLATION
Thus the field of activities [the body], knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature.
PURPORT
The Lord has described in summary the body, knowledge and the knowable. This knowledge is of three things: the knower, the knowable and the process of knowing. Combined, these are called vijnanam, or the science of knowledge. Perfect knowledge can be understood by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord directly. Others are unable to understand. The monists say that at the ultimate stage these three items become one, but the devotees do not accept this. Knowledge and development of knowledge mean understanding oneself in Krsna consciousness. We are being led by material consciousness, but as soon as we transfer all consciousness to Krsna's activities and realize that Krsna is everything, then we attain real knowledge. In other words, knowledge is nothing but the preliminary stage of understanding devotional service perfectly.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada