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 berkata: “Wahai Purushottama, hanya Engkau mengetahui diri-Mu oleh Diri-Mu sendiri. Wahai Pencipta segala makhluk, Tuhan segala makhluk, Dewa segala dewa, dan Penguasa alam semesta—hakikat-Mu yang sejati tersingkap oleh diri-Nya sendiri dan tidak dapat ditangkap sepenuhnya oleh yang lain.”
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.