13-20

कार्य कारण कर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिः उच्यते ।
पुरुषः सुख दुःखानाम् भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥ २० ॥

kArya kAraNa kartRtve hetuH prakRtiH ucyate |
puruSaH sukha duHkhAnAm bhoktRtve heturucyate || 20 ||

प्रकृतिः [prakRtiH] The material environment हेतुः उच्यते [hetuH ucyate] is said to be the cause कार्य कारण कर्तृत्वे [kArya kAraNa kartRtve] of the transactions in the body, the organs and the mind. पुरुषः [puruSaH] The Self हेतुः उच्यते [hetuH ucyate] is said to be the space सुख दुःखानाम् भोक्तृत्वे [sukha duHkhAnAm bhoktRtve] in which happiness and sorrow are experienced.

The sense organs, organs of action and the mind constitute the body. The body is made up of elements of the environment. When the Self occupies a body, its organs become active. These activities lead to experiences that keep happening, as long as the Self is in the body.

The role of the Self is to preside over the body and sustain it. In support of that fact, the Brahmasutra says: कर्ता शास्त्रार्थवत्वात् [kartA zAstrArthavatvAt] - the Self initiates action. That’s why the scriptures address the Self when they preach virtues such as humility, honesty and devotion.

The intention to do something and initiate action is left to the Self. Everything else goes according to the Lord’s will.

In summary:

The Self presides over the body and sustains it, bringing initiative - that’s it. Experiences such as comfort and pain come from its association with the material world. In other words, our body is the field in which comfort and pain are experienced by the Self.

In this way, the division of work between the environment (the body) and the Self was described. It holds as long as the Self and the body are bound together.

Next, the reason for the Self to be bound in material experiences is described. Why are we bound this way, even though the Self is pure joy and experiences itself?