Shloka 15
Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña-Jñāna–Jñeya-Viveka
Field, Knower, Knowledge, and the Knowable
स्वयमेवात्मना55त्मान वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम । भूतभावन भूतेश देवदेव जगत्पते
svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣottama | bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa deva-deva jagat-pate ||
Arjuna sprach: „O höchste Person, nur Du erkennst Dich selbst durch Dein eigenes Selbst. O Ursprung aller Wesen, Herr der Wesen, Gott der Götter und Meister des Universums — Deine wahre Natur offenbart sich aus sich selbst und kann von anderen nicht vollständig erfasst werden.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the transcendence and self-revealing nature of the Supreme: the highest reality is fully known only to itself. This frames devotion and humility—finite beings approach the divine through reverence and inquiry rather than claiming complete comprehension.
In the Bhīṣma Parva dialogue setting, Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa with exalted epithets, acknowledging Kṛṣṇa’s supreme status and the limits of human understanding, preparing the ground for deeper revelation about the divine nature and cosmic order.