|| 13.5 ||
ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्। ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः।।
ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛthak brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ
Word by Word
ṛṣibhiḥ (by the sages) bahudhā (in many ways) gītam (sung) chandobhiḥ (by Vedic hymns) vividhaiḥ (various) pṛthak (differently) brahma-sūtra (the Vedānta-sūtra) padaiḥ (by the aphorisms) ca (and) eva (certainly) hetu-madbhiḥ (with logic) viniścitaiḥ (conclusive).
Translation
That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings. It is especially presented in the Vedanta-sutra with all reasoning as to cause and effect.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa cites historical and scriptural authorities to validate His teachings. He mentions that the truths about the field and the knower have been sung by many sages in the Vedic hymns and presented with rigorous logic in the Vedānta-sūtra. He is not teaching a new theory, but the timeless truth.
By pointing to the ‘Brahma-sūtra’, Kṛṣṇa highlights the importance of logic (‘Hetu’) in spiritual life. True knowledge is not based on emotion alone; it is ‘Viniścitaiḥ’ or conclusively proven through reasoning. The Gītā is the essence of all these ancient analytical texts.
This verse encourages us to study the foundational texts of spiritual science. It reminds us that we belong to a long lineage of thinkers who have explored the nature of reality. When our personal realizations are aligned with the words of the sages and the logic of the scriptures, our path becomes certain and steady.