The Nature of the Field and the Knower of the Field

असक्तिरनभिष्वङ्ग: पुत्रदारगृहादिषु |
नित्यं च समचित्तत्वमिष्टानिष्टोपपत्तिषु || 10||
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी |
विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि || 11||
अध्यात्मज्ञाननित्यत्वं तत्वज्ञानार्थदर्शनम् |
एतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा || 12||
asaktir anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛihādiṣhu
nityaṁ cha sama-chittatvam iṣhṭāniṣhṭopapattiṣhu
mayi chānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhichāriṇī
vivikta-deśha-sevitvam aratir jana-sansadi
adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ tattva-jñānārtha-darśhanam
etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yad ato ’nyathā

1- Detachment from Material Attachments:

•    Avoid clinging to spouse, children, home, and similar attachments.
•    Such attachments lead to identification with material possessions ("mine") and increase mental bondage.
•    Attachment fosters expectations and disappointment, causing mental anguish when expectations are unmet.
•    Separation from loved ones—temporary or permanent—heavily burdens the mind and diverts it from spiritual progress.
•    To attain eternal bliss, one must practice prudence in interactions, performing duties without attachment, akin to a nurse or teacher fulfilling their responsibilities.

2- Equanimity in Life’s Dualities:

•    Life naturally presents pleasurable and painful events.
•    To transcend these dualities, one should develop spiritual strength through detachment.
•    Remaining unperturbed by reversals and not overly elated by success cultivates inner peace.

3- Exclusive Devotion to God:

•    Detachment alone prevents negativity, but life’s true purpose involves engaging in the divine.
•    The ultimate goal is to dedicate life to God, as emphasised by Shree Krishna.
•    Devotion entails constant focus on God’s lotus feet, integrating spiritual practice into daily life.

4- Preference for Solitude:

•    Devotees naturally prefer solitary places for deep communion with God.
•    Solitude facilitates focused devotional thoughts and spiritual absorption.
•    Unlike worldly individuals driven by loneliness, devotees seek solitude for divine connection.

5- Aversion to Mundane Society:

•    Materialistic minds enjoy conversations about worldly affairs.
•    Devotees, cultivating divine consciousness, develop a natural dislike for such discussions.
•    When necessary for service to God, they participate but remain unaffected mentally.

6- Steadiness in Spiritual Knowledge:

•    Knowing spiritual truths intellectually is insufficient; practical application is essential.
•    Repeated contemplation and reflection deepen understanding and help implement virtues consistently.
•    This constancy in applying divine knowledge is vital for spiritual growth.

7- Philosophical Pursuit of Absolute Truth:

•    Human life is endowed with the faculty of knowledge, unlike animals engaged only in bodily activities.
•    Human pursuit involves contemplating fundamental questions: identity, purpose, creation, connection with God, and life’s ultimate goal.
•    This philosophical inquiry elevates thinking beyond animalistic instincts to divine realisation.

8- Virtues Leading to Wisdom:

•    Virtuous qualities such as humility, discipline, self-control, respect for the Guru, cleanliness, and detachment foster spiritual growth.
•    These virtues help develop self-knowledge and divine awareness.

9- Opposite Traits as Obstacles:

•    Negative traits like vanity, hypocrisy, violence, vengeance, duplicity, disrespect, uncleanliness, unsteadiness, greed, ego, and entanglement in material attachments hinder spiritual progress.
•    Such dispositions are described as ignorance and darkness, crippling self-knowledge and spiritual evolution.