Nature is said to be the cause of the body, the senses, and action. The inner being is said to be the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 13.21
Hindi · हिन्दी
प्रकृति और पुरुष दोनोंको ही तुम अनादि समझो और विकारों तथा गुणोंको भी प्रकृतिसे ही उत्पन्न समझो । कार्य और करणके द्वारा होनेवाली क्रियाओंको उत्पन्न करनेमें प्रकृति हेतु कही जाती है और सुखदुःखोंके भोक्तापनमें पुरुष हेतु कहा जाता है ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वेin the doership of body, senses, and actionहेतुःcauseप्रकृतिःnatureपुरुषःthe inner beingसुखदुःखानाम्of pleasure and painभोक्तृत्वेin the state of experiencerहेतुःcauseउच्यतेis said
Read literallyin the doership of body, senses, and action · cause · nature · the inner being · of pleasure and pain · in the state of experiencer · cause · is said
Understanding the verse
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It shifts the mind from self-blame to clear witnessing of action and experience.
The body, senses, and actions belong to nature. Pleasure and pain are experienced by the inner being. Krishna separates the changing process from the one who experiences it.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna explains that nature drives bodily action, while the inner being only experiences pleasure and pain. This distinction prepares Arjuna to act without mistaking himself for the moving field.
03
In your life
Why this verse still matters
You watch your body tense before a hard conversation, then feel the sting afterward. This verse reminds you that the surge belongs to nature; the witness is not the storm.
The takeaway
“You can stop confusing what happens with who you are.”
The body, senses, and actions belong to nature. Pleasure and pain are experienced by the inner being. Krishna separates the changing process from the one who experiences it.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 13.21?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga" (Field and Knower of the Field).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 13.21?
Verse 21 sits in Chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita — Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga, "Field and Knower of the Field". The chapter has 35 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 13.21 matter today?
You watch your body tense before a hard conversation, then feel the sting afterward. This verse reminds you that the surge belongs to nature; the witness is not the storm.
It shifts the mind from self-blame to clear witnessing of action and experience.
What this verse means
The body, senses, and actions belong to nature. Pleasure and pain are experienced by the inner being. Krishna separates the changing process from the one who experiences it.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna explains that nature drives bodily action, while the inner being only experiences pleasure and pain. This distinction prepares Arjuna to act without mistaking himself for the moving field.
Why this verse still matters
You watch your body tense before a hard conversation, then feel the sting afterward. This verse reminds you that the surge belongs to nature; the witness is not the storm.
“You can stop confusing what happens with who you are.”
Explore related themes: prakriti (31 verses), kshetra kshetrajna (10 verses)