FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 13.21

कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतु: प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुष: सुखदु:खानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥ २१ ॥
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
[kaarya-kaarana-kartritve]
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
[hetuh prakritir uchyate]
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
[purushah sukha-duhkhaanaam]
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
[bhoktritve hetur uchyate]
Word-for-word
kārya — of effect kāraṇa — and cause kartṛtve — in the matter of creation hetuḥ — the instrument prakṛtiḥ — material nature ucyate — is said to be puruṣaḥ — the living entity sukha — of happiness duḥkhānām — and distress bhoktṛtve — in enjoyment hetuḥ — the instrument ucyate — is said to be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
kārya
of effect
kāraṇa
and cause
kartṛtve
in the matter of creation
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
hetuḥ
the instrument
prakṛtiḥ
material nature
ucyate
is said to be
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
puruṣaḥ
the living entity
sukha
of happiness
duḥkhānām
and distress
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
bhoktṛtve
in enjoyment
hetuḥ
the instrument
ucyate
is said to be .
Important Words
  • kārya — of effect
    Sanskrit compound. Prakṛti is the cause of *both* effect and cause-in-the-empirical-sense — the whole productive machinery of the body. Note: prakṛti, not the soul, drives the body's mechanics.
  • kāraṇa — and cause
    Paired with kārya. Together they cover the entire causal chain in the body. The soul is exempted from authorship of any of it.
  • kartṛtve — in the matter of creation
    Locative — "in the matter of being a doer." Doership belongs to prakṛti. This single word will be picked up again in verse 29's akartāram.
  • bhoktṛtve — in enjoyment
    And enjoyment belongs to puruṣa. The soul does not act; the soul tastes. Doership and enjoyership are split between the two categories — this is the verse's whole argument.
  • sukha — of happiness
    Paired with duḥkha. The soul's experience reduces to a binary — pleasant/unpleasant — which it registers but does not generate. Sukha and duḥkha are reactions to prakṛti's activity.
Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Clean division of labor: prakṛti is the engine of action through body and senses; puruṣa is the one who feels the resulting pleasures and pains. Doing belongs to nature; experiencing belongs to the conscious self.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Compressed Sāṅkhya doctrine. 'Kārya' (effect) is read as the body and 'kāraṇa' (cause) as the senses by most ācāryas, following Śaṅkara. The verse foregrounds the central anomaly of bondage: the doer (prakṛti) and the sufferer (puruṣa) are different, yet bondage occurs because puruṣa misidentifies prakṛti's doings as his own. v. 22 will explain how this happens.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
कार्य-कारण-कर्तृत्वे प्रकृतिः हेतुः उच्यते । पुरुषः सुख-दुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुः उच्यते ॥
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve prakṛtiḥ hetuḥ ucyate | puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve hetuḥ ucyate ||
Prakṛti is said to be the cause of agency with regard to effects and causes (the body and the senses). Puruṣa is said to be the cause of experience with regard to pleasure and pain.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
कार्य-कारण-कर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिः उच्यते । पुरुषः सुख-दुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुः उच्यते ॥
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtiḥ ucyate | puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve hetuḥ ucyate ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
कार्य-कारण-कर्तृत्वे kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve कार्य + कारण + कर्तृ + त्व (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) in the agency over effect and cause (body and senses)
हेतुः hetuḥ हेतु (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the cause
प्रकृतिः prakṛtiḥ प्रकृति (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) material nature
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is said (to be)
पुरुषः puruṣaḥ पुरुष (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the conscious being
सुख-दुःखानाम् sukha-duḥkhānām सुख + दुःख (n.) gen.pl. (genitive plural), dvandva cpd. (compound) of pleasures and pains
भोक्तृत्वे bhoktṛtve भोक्तृ + त्व (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the experiencing
Purport

The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are creations of the material nature. They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the living entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that. When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress. His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state. Because of the desire to lord it over material nature, he is in the material world. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. The spiritual world is pure, but in the material world everyone is struggling hard to acquire different kinds of pleasures for the body. It might be more clear to state that this body is the effect of the senses. The senses are instruments for gratifying desire. Now, the sum total – body and instrument senses – is offered by material nature, and as will be clear in the next verse, the living entity is blessed or damned with circumstances according to his past desire and activity. According to one’s desires and activities, material nature places one in various residential quarters. The being himself is the cause of his attaining such residential quarters and his attendant enjoyment or suffering. Once placed in some particular kind of body, he comes under the control of nature because the body, being matter, acts according to the laws of nature. At that time, the living entity has no power to change that law. Suppose an entity is put into the body of a dog. As soon as he is put into the body of a dog, he must act like a dog. He cannot act otherwise. And if the living entity is put into the body of a hog, then he is forced to eat stool and act like a hog. Similarly, if the living entity is put into the body of a demigod, he must act according to his body. This is the law of nature. But in all circumstances, the Supersoul is with the individual soul. That is explained in the Vedas ( Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1) as follows: dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyaḥ. The Supreme Lord is so kind upon the living entity that He always accompanies the individual soul and in all circumstances is present as the Supersoul, or Paramātmā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
21. Prakṛti is said to be the cause of the connection, because of supplying the body, senses and sense devatās. The jīva is said to be the cause of the connection, being the enjoyer of happiness and distress.
Commentary

In this verse the Lord shows the jīva’s connection with prakṛti. Prakṛti is the cause of the jīva’s unfortunate condition by offering the body (kārya), the senses which produce happiness and distress (kāraṇa) and the presiding deities of the senses (kartṛ). Prakṛti, by association with the jīva, transforms into the form of body, senses and sense devatās, and, by its function of ignorance, it becomes the bestower of the jīva’s misidentification. The jīva (puruṣa), having the position as the enjoyer of the happiness and distress produced by prakṛti, is also the cause of the connection. The meaning is this. Even though the body, the senses, the sense devatās and the jīva’s capacity for enjoyment (bhoktṛtva) are all qualities of prakṛti, because of the predominance of unconsciousness in the body, senses and sense devatās, and the predominance of consciousness in experiencing happiness and distress (bhoktṛ), the two get separately designated as causes according to predominance. According to this reasoning, it is said that prakṛti is the cause, by producing the body, sense and sense devatās, and jīva is the cause by his capacity to experience happiness and distress.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
21. Prakṛti is said to be the cause, instrumental in producing the body and senses. The jīva is said to be the cause, being the enjoyer of happiness and distress.
Commentary

This verse speaks of their differing functions. Kārya means body. Since the senses are necessary in order to achieve action and knowledge, they are called kāraṇa. Prakṛti is a cause, in that it transforms itself (kartṛtve) into the forms of the senses and body. In the next verse the Lord will say that the jīva is situated in prakṛti (puruṣaḥ prakṛti stho hi). Jīva exploits that prakṛti which appear conscious by its association with the jīva. Thus that prakṛti, ruled by jīva, is the creator of bodies and senses by transforming itself according to the jīva’s karmas. The jīva is the cause in the sense of being the enjoyer of happiness and distress which are offered by prakṛti. He is the agent in enjoying them. The functions of the jīva are to preside over prakṛti and experience happiness and distress. Since prakṛti is the agent in regards to production of the body and senses, but is itself exploited by the jīva, the jīva is the main cause or doer. The author of Vedānta says kartā śāstrārthavattvāt:: the soul is the agent, not prakṛti, since that is the meaning of the scriptures. (Vedānta Sūtra 2.3.31) It will also be stated later that the Lord as the doer must be accepted in all cases, as was stated earlier (the Lord is the creator, maintainer and destroyer).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This is addressing the question about "who is the doer?" The living entity is the one who is causing all these troubles through his illicit desires. And he is also causing his enjoyments. But actually is the material nature, the prak working under the control of the three modes of material nature who is enacting everything. The living entity is desiring and getting karma, and in that sense he is the doer. Then the modes of material nature cause the transformations in the field, which cause the suffering and enjoyment of the living entities identified with matter. All this is done under the sanction of the real purusa, the Supersoul. (DS) Verse 20 describes the material nature as the cause of the different transformations. In verse 21, the living entity is said to be the cause of his sufferings and enjoyments. And in the next verse, explains how the living entity becomes associated with matter and thus enjoys or suffers.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Happiness and distress are due to purusa’s identifying with prakriti

Nature is the cause of all material causes and effects
Living entities is the cause of various sufferings and enjoyments in this world
Because of illusory oneness with matter, his desires and actions cause him to suffer and enjoy

Focus of Learning

(a) Chapter 13 tells us about the body and differences between the two knowers of the body

Body is the field and the embodied individual soul is enjoying the activities of the body and therefore called Purusha – living entity is in the category of Lord’s energy
Supersoul is another knower of the body; in the category of the Lord’s personal expansion

(b) Mystery of material creation

Similarity – Both living entity and material nature are eternal
Material nature is eternal, although specific manifestations of matter are temporary
Living entity is eternal because of being Lord’s superior energy
Difference between material nature and living entity
Material nature has constant transformation, but nature of living entity is Non-changing
Material nature is absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ‘Maha-Vishnu’ and whenever required, it is manifested through the mahat-tattva
The Living entity also gets absorbed in ‘Maha-Vishnu’ and with the coming of the material nature they are given a chance to prepare to go back to Godhead

(c) Why the eternal living entity falls down to material world

Due to rebellious nature
It really does not matter how we came in contact with matter
The Supreme Lord knows “how and why” this took place

(d) What does the Lord focus on in the scriptures

The living entity attracted by the material nature is undergoing a hard struggle for material existence
Know for certain that all “transformations” and “influences of material nature by the three modes” are productions of material nature
As far as spirit soul is concerned living entities are all the same and all transformations and varieties are due to the body
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.21 Karya-karana-kartrtve, with regard to the source of body and organs: Karya is the body, and karana are the thirteen [Five sense organs, five motor organs, mind, intellect and ego.] organs existing in it. Here, by the word karya are understood the aforesaid elements that produce the body as also the objects which are modifications born of Nature. And since the alities-which are born of Nature and manifest themselves as happiness, sorrow and delusion-are dependent on the organs, (therefore) they are implied by the word karana, organs. The kartrtvam, (lit) agentship, with regard to these body and organs consists in being the source of the body and organs. With regard to this source of the body and organs, prakrtih, Nature; ucyate, is said to be; the hetuh, cause, in the sense of being the originator. Thus, by virtue of being the source of body and organs, Nature is the cause of mundane existence. Even if the reading be karya-karana-kartrtva, karya (effect, modification) will mean anything that is the transformation of something; and karana (cause) will be that which becomes transformed. So the meaning of the compund will be: 'with regard to the source of the effect and the cause'. Or, karya means the sixteen [The eleven organs (five sensory, five motor, and mind) and the five objects (sound etc.).] modificaitons, and karana means the seven [Mahat, egoism, and the five subtle elements.] transformations of Nature. They themselves are called effect and cuase. So far as the agentship with regard to these is concerned Nature is said to be the cause, because of the same reason of being their originator. As to how the soul can be the cause of mundane existence is being stated: Purusah, the soul, the empirical being, the knower of the field-all these are synonymous; is the hetuh, cause; bhoktrtve, so far as enjoyership, the fact of being the perceiver; sukha-duhkhanam, of happiness and sorrow-which are objects of experience, is concerned. How, again, is it asserted with respect to Nature and soul that, they are the causes of mundane existence by virtue of this fact of their (respectively) being the source of body and organs, and the perceiver of happiness and sorrow? As to this the answer is being stated: How can there be any mundane existence if there be no modification of Nature in the form of body and organs, happiness and sorrow, and cause and effect, and there be no soul, the conscious being, to experience them? On the other hand, there can be mundane existence when there is a contact, in the form of ignorance, between Nature-modified in the form of body and organs, and cause and effect as an object of experience and the soul opposed to it as the experiencer. Therefore it was reasonable to have said that, Nature and soul become the cause of mundane existence by (respectively) becoming the originators of the body and organs, and the perceiver of happiness and sorrow. What again is this that is called worldly existence? Worldly existence consists in the experience of happiness and sorrow; and the state of mundane existence of the soul consists in its being the experiencer of happiness and sorrow. It has been asserted that the state of mundane existence of the soul consists in its being the experiencer of happiness and sorrow. How does it come about? This is being answered:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.21 The 'Karya' means the body, the 'Karanas' mean the instruments, i.e., the senses of perception and action plus the Manas. In their operations, the Prakrti, subservient to the self, is alone the causal factor. The sense is that their operations, which are the means of experience, have their foundation in the Prakrti, which has developed in the form of the body subservient to the self. In regard to this, the authority is the aphorism, 'The self is an agent, on account of the scriptures having the purpose' (B. S., 2.3.33) etc. The agency of the self means that the self is the cause of the will (effort) to support the body. The self (Purusa) associated with the body is the cause for experiencing pleasures and pains. The meaning is that It is the seat of those experiences. Thus, has been explained the difference in the operations of the Prakrti and of the self when they are mutually conjoined. He now proceeds to explain how, though the self, which in Its pristine nature experiences Itself by Itself as nothing but joy, becomes the cause of experiencing both pleasure and pain derived from sense objects when It is conjoined with a body. The term Guna figuratively represents effects. The self (in Its pristine nature) experiences Itself by Itself, as nothing buy joy. But when dwelling in the body, i.e., when It is in conjunction with the Prakrti, It experiences the alities born of Prakrti, namely, happiness, pain etc., which are the effects of Gunas like Sattva etc. He explains the cause of conjunction with the Prakrti:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.21 See Comment under 13.23
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.21 In the production of the effect and the cause, Nature (matter) is said to be the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is said to be the cause.
Commentary

13.21 कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे in the production of the effect? and the cause? हेतुः the cause? प्रकृतिः Prakriti? उच्यते is said (to be)? पुरुषः Purusha? सुखदुःखानाम् of pleasure and pain? भोक्तृत्वे in the experience? हेतुः the cause? उच्यते is said (to be).Commentary Pleasure and pain are the fruits of virtuous and vicious actions. The force of desire acts on the mind and the mind impels the senses to act to get the objects of desire. Good and evil actions proceed from Nature and lead to happiness or misery. Evil actions produce misery and sorrow. Virtuous actions cause happiness and joy. The soul is the enjoyer. The wife works and prepares nice? palatable dishes the huand silently enjoys the fruits of her labour. He sits ietly and eats them to his hearts content. Even so Nature works and the soul experiences the fruits of Her labour? viz.? pleasure and pain.When harmony predominates? virtuous actions are performed. When there is a preponderance of Rajas? both virtuous and vicious actions are performed. When Tamas predominates? sinful? unlawful and unrighteous actions are done.In the place of Kaarana (कारण) which means cause? some read Karana (करण) which means instrument such as the five organs of knowledge? five organs of action? mind? intellect and egoism (thirteen principles located in the body).Karya The effect? viz.? the physical body. The five elements which form the body and the five senses? and which form the senseobjects which are born of Nature come under the term effect. All alities? such as pleasure and pain and delusion which are born of Nature? come under the term instruments because these alities reside in the instruments? the senses.In the production of the body? the senses and their sensations Nature is said to be the cause. Thus Nature is the cause of Samsara.Sugarcane is the cause. Sugarcane juice? sugar and sugarcandy are the effects or modifications of sugarcane. Milk is the cause. Curd? butter and ghee (meleted butter) are the modifications of milk. Whatever is a modification of something is its effect? and that from which the modifications come is their cause. Nature is the source or cause of all modifications. She generates everything. The ten organs? mind and the five objects of the senses are the sixteen modifications or effects.Mahat (intellect) is born of Mulaprakriti. From Mahat Ahamkara (egoism) is born. Mahat is the effect of Mulaprakriti and the cause of Ahamkara. Therefore Mahat is called PrakritiVikriti. Mahat? Ahamkara and the five Tanmatras (rootelements of matter) are the seven PrakritiVikriti. Each of these is a modification of its predecessor and is in turn the cause of its successor. The five rootelements generate the five gross elements. They are the subtle elements. These seven are both Nature and modification (Prakriti and Vikriti)? cause and effect? and are included under the term cause.The functions of the body? senses? lifeforce? mind and intellect are superimposed on the pure Self. So the ignorant man says I am black I am fat I am hungry I am angry I am deaf I am blind I am the son of so and so? I know? I am the doer? I am the enjoyer? etc.The intellect is very subtle. It is in close contact with the most subtle Self. The Consciousness of the Self is reflected in the intellect (Chidabhasa) and so the intellect which has the semblance of,the Consciousness feels I am pure consciousness or Chaitanya. I experience pleasure and pain. The attributes of the pure Self are superimposed on the intellect. There is mutual superimposition between the intellect and the Self? Nature and Spirit. This is the cause of Samsara.Purusha? Jiva? Kshetrajna and Bhokta are all synonymous terms. Purusha here referred to is not the Supreme Self. He is the conditioned soul? the soul subject to transmigration who experiences pleasure and pain. The Self or the Absolute is ever free from Samsara and is unchanging.Prakriti and Purusha are the cause of Samsara. Nature generates the body? lifeforce? mind? intellect and the senses. The soul experiences pleasure and pain. Samsara is the experience of pleasure and pain. The soul is the Samsarin. He is the experiencer of pleasure and pain. (Cf.XV.9)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.21 With regard to the source of body and organs, Nature is said to be the cause. The soul is the cause so far as enjoyership of happiness and sorrow is concerned.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.21 Nature is the Law which generates cause and effect; God is the source of the enjoyment of all pleasure and pain.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.27 BG 5.14 BG 13.30 SB 11.22.12 SB 3.27.1 SB 6.16.4 CC Madhya 20.118 CC Madhya 20.140 CC Madhya 24.135 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.8Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Material nature is said to be the cause of cause and effect in the body; the living entity is said to be the cause of pleasures and pains experienced in the body.
Practical Applications
  • Distinguish: nature drives the body's mechanics; the soul experiences pleasure and pain.
  • Use this distinction to take responsibility for experience without blaming nature for being nature.
  • Don't conflate the two causes.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I blame nature for what is my experience?
  • What changes when I separate the two causes?
Analogy

A loom weaves; a weaver feels the cloth's roughness or smoothness against his hands. The loom is prakṛti, mechanically producing cause and effect. The hands belong to puruṣa, registering pleasure and pain. Confuse the two and you blame the loom for the discomfort of skin, or thank the skin for the speed of the loom.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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