Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 14
Jaḍa Bharata Instructs King Rahūgaṇa: The Mind as Bondage and the Two Kṣetrajñas
क्षेत्रज्ञ आत्मा पुरुष: पुराण: साक्षात्स्वयंज्योतिरज: परेश: । नारायणो भगवान् वासुदेव: स्वमाययाऽऽत्मन्यवधीयमान: ॥ १३ ॥ यथानिल: स्थावरजङ्गमाना- मात्मस्वरूपेण निविष्ट ईशेत् । एवं परो भगवान् वासुदेव: क्षेत्रज्ञ आत्मेदमनुप्रविष्ट: ॥ १४ ॥
kṣetrajña ātmā puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ sākṣāt svayaṁ jyotir ajaḥ pareśaḥ nārāyaṇo bhagavān vāsudevaḥ sva-māyayātmany avadhīyamānaḥ
There are two kinds of kṣetrajña — the living entity, as explained above, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is explained as follows. He is the all-pervading cause of creation. He is full in Himself and is not dependent on others. He is perceived by hearing and direct perception. He is self-effulgent and does not experience birth, death, old age or disease. He is the controller of all the demigods, beginning with Lord Brahmā. He is called Nārāyaṇa, and He is the shelter of living entities after the annihilation of this material world. He is full of all opulences, and He is the resting place of everything material. He is therefore known as Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His own potency, He is present within the hearts of all living entities, just as the air or vital force is within the bodies of all beings, moving and nonmoving. In this way He controls the body. In His partial feature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead enters all bodies and controls them.
This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) . Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. Every living being is controlled by the supreme living being, Paramātmā, who resides within everyone’s heart. He is the puruṣa, the puruṣa-avatāra, who creates this material world. The first puruṣa-avatāra is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is the plenary portion of the plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s first expansion is Baladeva, and His next expansions are Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna. Vāsudeva is the original cause of the brahmajyoti, and the brahmajyoti is the expansion of the rays of the body of Vāsudeva.
FAQs
This verse identifies the true Kṣetrajña as Bhagavān Vāsudeva—self-effulgent, unborn, and the supreme witness and controller.
Rahūgaṇa was proud and bodily identified; Jaḍa Bharata corrects him by pointing to the Supreme Self beyond the body and mind, who is Nārāyaṇa/Vāsudeva.
See identity beyond roles and status; cultivate devotion and humility by remembering the Supreme Self as the real controller, not the temporary bodily designation.