Adhyāya 51: Kṛṣṇa’s Leave-Taking and Departure for Dvārakā (द्वारकागमनानुमति)
निर्मुक्त: सर्वपापेभ्य: सर्व सृजति निष्कलम् | क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तं विद्याद् यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्
nirmuktaḥ sarvapāpebhyaḥ sarvaṃ sṛjati niṣkalam | kṣetrajña iti taṃ vidyād yas taṃ veda sa vedavit ||
जो सर्व पापांपासून मुक्त असूनही निष्कलंक राहून सर्वांची सृष्टी करतो, त्याला ‘क्षेत्रज्ञ’ असे जाणावे; जो त्याला जाणतो तोच वेदवेत्ता होय।
वायुदेव उवाच
True spiritual knowledge is to recognize the kṣetrajña—the inner witness/knower—who remains pure and untouched while being the source through which the world of experience arises; knowing this principle is presented as the mark of real Vedic wisdom.
Vāyudeva is speaking in a didactic mode, defining a profound metaphysical principle: the untainted knower (kṣetrajña) who is free from sin and yet is associated with the origination of all things, and he declares that one who understands this is truly a ‘vedavit’.