True knowledge is understanding oneself as the eternal soul within the temporary body, received from the perfect spiritual authority.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 13.3 — April 19, 1974, Hyderabad 740419BG-HYDERABAD [50:29 Minutes] Bg-13.03_740419BG-HYDERABAD Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse] kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama [Bg. 13.3] [break] [02:59] Translation: "O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge.
That is My opinion." Prabhupāda: kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor jñānaṁ yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama [Bg. 13.3] Jñānam, knowledge. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining about knowledge. People are being educated all over the world for advancement of knowledge. Knowledge is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs.
Therefore, for human being there are so many universities, schools, colleges, institutions, laws. There are so many things to advance knowledge. But what is the advancement of knowledge? The basic principle of knowledge is to understand, "Who am I?" If I do not know who am I, then what is the meaning of my advancement of knowledge?
Generally, despite so many universities all over the world, people are going on in the concept of this body: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." So everyone is identifying himself with this material body. Then where is the advancement of knowledge? Here Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-kṣetra-jñayor jñānaṁ yad jñānam..., taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama. The kṣetra, this body, and the owner of the body. I am not this body, I am the owner of this body.
This is jñānam. That is being explained in this chapter of Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa. This is the Thirteenth Chapter, and Arjuna's question was, prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca etad veditum icchāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava [Bg. 13.1] This was the question in this chapter. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I want to know what is the prakṛti, what is puruṣa, what is kṣetra, what is kṣetra-jña, what is jñāna." These are the items inquired by Arjuna.
Arjuna is disciple, and Kṛṣṇa is the teacher. The disciple submissively inquired from the teacher about knowledge. That is the Vedic injunction. You cannot have knowledge, I cannot have knowledge without teacher.
By speculative advancement one cannot come to the real platform of knowledge. At the present moment, so many philosophers, scientists, they are trying to advance in knowledge by speculation: "I think," "In my opinion," "Perhaps," like this. These things are going on. Big, big philosophers, scientists, they give their opinion: "I think like this." Everybody is thinking, "I think..." And it is being supported.