The Yoga of the Field and the Knower of the Field

Krishna explains the roles of prakriti (material nature, the field) and purusha (the enjoyer, the knower). 'Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate'—material nature is the cause of all actions and their effects. The field is the doer—it performs actions, creates effects. 'Puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate'—the enjoyer is the cause of experiencing pleasure and pain. The knower is the experiencer—it experiences the field's actions and effects as pleasure and pain. This distinction is crucial: the field does, the knower experiences. The field is the agent of action, the knower is the experiencer of the results. When you understand this, you recognize that you (the knower) are not the doer—the field does. You are the experiencer—you experience the field's actions. This understanding liberates you from the burden of doership—you're not responsible for the field's actions, you're the witness of them.