Bhagavad-gītā 13.21
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते।पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते।।13.21।।
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛitve hetuḥ prakṛitir uchyate puruṣhaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛitve hetur uchyate
In the production of the body and the senses, Prakriti is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, Purusha is said to be the cause.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| kārya | effect |
| kāraṇa | cause |
| kartṛitve | in the matter of creation |
| hetuḥ | the medium |
| prakṛitiḥ | the material energy |
| uchyate | is said to be |
| puruṣhaḥ | the individual soul |
| sukha-duḥkhānām | of happiness and distress |
| bhoktṛitve | in experiencing |
| hetuḥ | is responsible |
| uchyate | is said to be |
Use the word map to follow the relation among kārya (effect) and uchyate (is said to be). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the field, its knower and the supreme knower. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 13.21.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Distinguish field, individual knower, Supreme knower, knowledge and knowable while noting this edition’s 35-verse numbering.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
In the production of the body and the senses, Prakriti is said to be the cause
- 2
in the experience of pleasure and pain, Purusha is said to be the cause
- 3
kārya: effect
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture field and knower.
Link
Use the line starts: kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛitve hetuḥ / puruṣhaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 13.21, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 13.21 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 13.21 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 13.21 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 13.21, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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