Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 26
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 ||
ਜੋ ਸਭ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਵੀ ਆਪ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਸਭ ਦੀ ਸ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ‘ਖੇਤਰਜ੍ਞ’ ਜਾਣੋ; ਜੋ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਵੇਦ-ਵਿਤ ਹੈ।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
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’.