Verse 13.21
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते | पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ||२१||
Transliteration (IAST)
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate | puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate ||21||
Word-by-Word Meanings
kārya-effect (body)
kāraṇa-cause (senses)
kartṛtve-in agency/doership
hetuḥ-the cause
prakṛtiḥ-material nature
puruṣaḥ-the soul
sukha-duḥkhānām-of pleasure and pain
bhoktṛtve-in the experience
Translation
In the production of the body and the senses, Prakriti is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the Purusha is said to be the cause.
Commentary
This verse delineates the respective roles of Prakriti and Purusha. Prakriti is responsible for all physical and instrumental causation - the body, senses, and their activities. Purusha is the experiencer (bhoktā) of pleasure and pain. Shankaracharya clarifies that Purusha's 'experience' is due to its association with Prakriti through ignorance, not its intrinsic nature.
Themes
jnanakarmaatman