Shloka 19

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञतत्त्वज्ञा: स्वयज्ञपरिनिछिता:

Transliteration

kṣetrakṣetrajñatattvajñāḥ svayajñapariniścitāḥ

Translation

ಚೂಲಾಧಾರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—“‘ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ’ ಮತ್ತು ‘ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಜ್ಞ’ಗಳ ತತ್ತ್ವವನ್ನು ಯಥಾರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿದವರು, ತಮ್ಮದೇ ಅಂತರ್ಯಜ್ಞದ ಶಿಸ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದೃಢವಾಗಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುವವರು—ಸಮ್ಯಕ್ ಬೋಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರರಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ।”

Word by Word

क्षेत्रthe field (body/matter)

क्षेत्रज्ञthe knower of the field (self)

तत्त्वज्ञाःknowers of reality/truth

स्वयज्ञपरिनिष्ठिताःsteadfast/established in the self-sacrifice (inner worship)

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

च

चुलाधार (Chūlādhāra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True spiritual maturity is marked by clear discernment between the ‘field’ (body–mind and changing nature) and the ‘knower’ (the witnessing consciousness), together with steadiness in inner sacrifice—self-discipline and inward offering—rather than mere reliance on outward ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Chūlādhāra continues to teach by defining the qualities of genuine knowers: they possess metaphysical clarity (kṣetra/kṣetrajña) and are firmly established in an inwardly oriented yajña, presenting an ethical-spiritual standard for right living.