Shloka 5

Gītā-sāra: The Self as Witness and the Inner Ascent into Brahman

Devanagari script

श्रोत्रादीनि न पश्यन्ति स्वंस्वमात्मानमात्मना / सर्वज्ञः सर्वदर्शो च क्षेत्रज्ञस्तानि पश्यन्ति

Transliteration

śrotrādīni na paśyanti svaṃsvamātmānamātmanā / sarvajñaḥ sarvadarśo ca kṣetrajñastāni paśyanti

Translation

ശ്രോത്രാദി ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ തങ്ങളുടെ ആത്മസ്വരൂപത്തെ തങ്ങളാൽ തന്നെ കാണാൻ കഴിയില്ല. എന്നാൽ സർവജ്ഞനും സർവദർശിയും ആയ ക്ഷേത്രജ്ഞൻ അവയെല്ലാം കാണുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्रोत्र-आदीनि: the ear and other (sense-organs)
• श्रोत्र-आदीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समूहवाचक (the ear etc., i.e., senses)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (own)

• स्वम्: (each) its own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (each its own)

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मना: by the Self
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सर्वज्ञः: all-knowing
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वदर्शः: all-seeing
• सर्वदर्शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्श (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• क्षेत्रज्ञः: the knower of the field (embodied Self)
• क्षेत्रज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (क्षेत्रज्ञ = देह-क्षेत्रस्य ज्ञाता)

• तानि: those (sense-organs)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sense faculties cannot apprehend the Self by themselves; the omniscient, all-seeing Knower of the Field perceives the senses and their operations.

Vedantic Theme: Kṣetra–kṣetrajña-viveka; consciousness as the subject that can never be objectified by the senses; sākṣitva.

Application: In observation practice, treat sensations and sense-operations as objects; repeatedly return to the witnessing awareness that knows hearing/seeing without being seen.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: adhyātma (field/body as kṣetra)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.237.7 (Self beholds senses and elements)

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrajña
• Indriyas (sense-organs)
• Ātman

FAQs

What is the importance of kṣetrajña (Knower of the Field) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights kṣetrajña as the inner witness-consciousness that knows the senses and their objects, showing that true awareness is distinct from the sense organs themselves.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By distinguishing the witnessing Self from the senses, it implies that after death the soul’s identity is not the physical organs; the conscious principle (kṣetrajña/ātman) remains the knower, while sensory functions are instruments.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate witness-awareness: observe sensations and thoughts as instruments rather than “I,” which supports self-control, ethical choices, and steadiness during fear, loss, and death-related rites.