Verse 1

In plain words

In the seventh chapter, Krishna already pointed to two natures belonging to him: one made of the three guṇas, unfolding into eight kinds, the lower nature, because it's what drives the whole cycle of birth and death; and another, higher nature, quite different — the one that has become the individual soul, known as the knower of the field, and it is, in truth, of Krishna's own essence. Through these two natures together, the Lord takes on the work of creating, sustaining, and dissolving the universe. So now, to pin down exactly what the Lord who holds both these natures truly is, by carefully working out this pair — the field and its knower — the Chapter of the Field begins. And in the chapter just finished, from 'one who hates no being' all the way to its close, Krishna described how those who truly know the truth, the renunciates, actually live — how they carry themselves. But here's the next question: by living out those very qualities, how exactly do such knowers become dear to the Lord? That's the whole reason this new chapter opens. Now, nature itself, made of the three guṇas, has already unfolded into every effect, every faculty, every object there is, and out of that it gets woven, for the sake of a person's enjoyment and eventual freedom, into the shape of a body, senses, and so on. That woven-together thing is exactly what we call the body. And this is what the Blessed Lord said —

'This' — the word points, and the next word tells us at what: the body. Now, Arjuna, son of Kuntī, why is it called 'the field'? Because it protects against injury, because it wastes away, because it perishes, or because, like an actual field, the fruit of action ripens here — that's why it's called the field; and here 'iti' simply means 'in this way.' Now, this very body — this field — whoever knows it, understands it, takes it as an object of knowledge from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, comes to know it, whether naturally or through instruction, piece by piece — that knower is what people call the knower of the field. Again, 'iti' here just means 'in this way,' exactly as before. So who exactly are meant by 'those who know that'? Simply this: whoever understands these two, the field and its knower, together — they are the ones who know.

Close to the Sanskrit

In the seventh chapter it was indicated: [there are] two natures of the Lord — one consisting of the three guṇas, differentiated eightfold, the lower, because it is the cause of transmigratory existence; and the other, higher, distinct, having become the individual soul, characterized as the field-knower, of the very nature of the Lord — by which two natures the Lord assumes the causal role of the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe. With regard to that, by way of expounding this twofold nature characterized as the field and the field-knower, for the sake of determining the true nature of the Lord who possesses them, the Chapter of the Field now begins. And in the chapter just concluded, from 'one who hates no being' (BG 12.13) and so forth, up to the completion of the chapter, this was stated: how the steadfastness of the knowers of the truth, the renunciates, is — how they conduct themselves. But by what, further, do they, endowed with knowledge of the truth, become dear to the Lord through practicing the qualities as described? — with this very purpose this chapter now begins. And nature, consisting of the three guṇas, having transformed into the form of all effects, instruments, and objects, is compounded, for the sake of the person's enjoyment and liberation, into the form of body, senses, and so on. That very aggregate is this body. This the Blessed Lord spoke —

'This' — [the word] expressed by the pronoun — the next word specifies: 'the body,' thus. O son of Kuntī, because of protecting against injury, because of decaying, because of perishing, or, like a field, because in this [body] the fruit of action ripens, it is called 'the field' — thus; here the word iti has the sense of the word 'evam' (in this manner) — thus it is designated, thus it is said. This body, the field, whoever knows, understands — makes it the object of his knowledge from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, makes it the object of natural or taught awareness, part by part — him, the knower, they call, they say, 'the field-knower' — thus; here too the word iti has the sense of the word 'evam,' just as before — thus they call him 'the field-knower.' Who [are meant by 'tadvidaḥ']? — 'The knowers of that': those two, the field and the field-knower, whoever know them, they are 'the knowers of that.'

In plain words

“Arjuna, listen. ‘Puruṣa’, ‘kṣetrajña’ and ‘jñeya’ are one and the same. ‘Puruṣa’ means the jīva; Prakṛti means the body; and Puruṣa means the one who knows that body. This body itself has many names. Since it wears out and decays, it is called śarīra; since it is burned, it is called deha. The one within it who, being the very svarūpa of Caitanya, fully knows its state is also called the ‘jīva’.”

In plain words

“Brother-in-law! Arjuna! Is it not through this body alone that people earn much merit, gain Jñāna and attain Mokṣa? Since it is the place where such ‘vibhūtis of God’ are established, it is called ‘kṣetra’. Another meaning is that kṣetra is that which protects the jīva like armour; yet another is that ‘kṣetra’ means land, and there is a basis for calling it ‘field’ too. Whatever seeds we sow or plant in a field, that very crop people take in and reap. The śarīra is the kṣetra; the guardian of the kṣetra is the jīva. Sowing seeds of merit, he raises the crop of ‘happiness and joy’. Sowing seeds of sin, people get the crop called ‘sorrow and unrest’. Planting seeds of Jñāna, they gain the fruit of ‘Mokṣa’. As a farmer knows his field, the jīva that is the kṣetrajña knows the tattva of the body that is the kṣetra. Between kṣetra and kṣetrajña there is only one difference: the word ‘jña’. ‘Jña’ means ‘Jñāna’. So it may be said that he who has Jñāna is the kṣetrajña, and that which lacks Jñāna is the kṣetra,” Govinda explained.