The “tree” of this material world is but a reflection of the real “tree”, the spiritual world. Just as a tree’s reflection is situated on water, the material reflection of the spiritual world is situated on desire, and no one knows where it begins or ends. This reflected tree is nourished by the three modes of material nature. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns, and its twigs are the objects of the senses. One who wants to disentangle himself from this tree must cut it down with the weapon of detachment and seek shelter of the Supreme Lord.

Everyone in this world is fallible, but in the spiritual world everyone is infallible. And beyond all others is the Supreme Person, Krishna.

Everyone in this world is fallible, but in the spiritual world everyone is infallible. And beyond all others is the Supreme Person, Krishna.

The total material substance is the source of the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. These modes compete in exerting their influence upon the conditioned soul. By observing the modes at work, we can understand that they are active, not we, and that we are separate. In this way, the influence of material nature gradually diminishes and we attain Krishna’s spiritual nature.

The mode of goodness illuminates. It frees one from all sinful reactions but conditions one to a sense of happiness and knowledge. One who dies in the mode of goodness attains the higher planets.

A person influenced by the mode of passion is plagued by unlimited desires for boundless material enjoyment, especially sex pleasure. To satisfy those desires, he is always forced to engage in hard work that binds him to sinful reactions, resulting in misery. A person in the mode of passion is never satisfied with the position he has already acquired. After death, he again takes birth on earth among persons engaged in fruitive activities.

The mode of ignorance means delusion. It fosters madness, indolence, laziness, and foolishness. If one dies in the mode of ignorance, he has to take birth in the animal kingdom or the hellish worlds.

A person who transcends the three modes is steady in his behavior, aloof from the temporary material body, and equally disposed towards friends and enemies. Such transcendental qualities can be achieved by full engagement in devotional service.

Arjuna wants to know about prakriti (nature), purusa (the enjoyer), ksetra (the field), ksetra-jna (the knower of the field), jnana (knowledge), and gnaya (the object of knowledge).

Krishna explains that the ksetra is the conditioned soul’s field of activity the body. Within it reside both the living entity and the Supreme Lord, who are called ksetra-jna, the knowers of the field. Jnana, knowledge, means understanding of the body and its knowers. Knowledge involves qualities such as humility, nonviolence, tolerance, cleanliness, self-control, absence of false ego, and even – mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events.

Jnaya, the object of knowledge, is the Super soul. Prakriti, nature, is the causes of all material causes and effects. The two purusas, or enjoyers, are the living entity and the Super soul. A person who can see that the individual soul and the Super soul remain unchanged throughout various types of material bodies they successfully inhabit and is said to possess the vision of eternity. By understanding the difference between the body and the knower of the body, and by understanding the process of liberation from material bondage, one reaches the supreme goal.