Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13, Verse 1

श्रीभगवानुवाच । इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते । एतद्यो वेत्ति तं प्राहुः क्षेत्रज्ञ इति तद्विदः

śrībhagavānuvāca | idaṃ śarīraṃ kaunteya kṣetramityabhidhīyate | etadyo vetti taṃ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ

Translation

This, the body, O son of Kuntī, is called Kṣetra; him who knows it, they who know of them call Kṣetrajña.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

idam

this

śarīram

body

kaunteya

O Kaunteya

kṣetram

the field

ityabhidhīyate

thus, is called

etat

this

yaḥ

who

vetti

knows

tam

that

prāhuḥ

(they) call

kṣetrajñaḥ

the knower of the field

iti

thus

tadvidaḥ

the knowers of that

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Kṣetra — the field, the body, matter — is so-called because it is shielded from injury, or because it is destructible, or because it is liable to decay, or because the fruits of actions are reaped in it as in a field. This body is designated as 'Kṣetra,' 'the field,' 'matter.' He who knows this Kṣetra, i.e., he who comprehends it in understanding from head to foot, he who perceives it as distinct from himself by knowledge, natural or imparted by others — him they designate as Kṣetrajña, 'the knower of the field,' 'the comprehender of matter' — they who know of Kṣetra and Kṣetrajña.