tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yādṛk ca yad-vikāri yataś ca yat sa ca yo yat-prabhāvaś ca tat samāsena me śṛṇu
"What that field is, what its nature is, what its modifications are, from what causes, and also who that knower is and what his powers are—hear that briefly from Me."
What This Means:
Krishna announces he will explain: what the field is, what it's like, how it changes, what causes it, who the knower is, and what powers the knower has. This is an outline of the chapter's teaching.
Going Deeper:
Six topics to be covered: (1) tat—what is it? (2) yādṛk—what is its nature? (3) yad-vikāri—what are its modifications? (4) yataḥ ca yat—from what source is what? (5) saḥ ca yaḥ—who is the knower? (6) yat-prabhāvaḥ—what are his powers? 'Samāsena'—briefly, concisely. Even profound knowledge can be expressed simply.
How To Apply This:
When studying something complex, first understand its outline. Krishna models teaching—announcing the structure before diving into details. Apply this when learning or teaching anything.
Key Sanskrit Terms: