य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैःसह ।सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥
ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥsaha |sarvathā vartamāno'pi na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate ||
One who knows the purusha and prakriti together with the gunas in this way is not born again, however he may be living.
Explanation
Krishna is concluding his teaching on the field and its knower. The Purusha is the conscious self (puruṣa), Prakriti is nature or matter (prakṛti), and the gunas (guṇa) are its three qualities: clarity, activity and inertia. Whoever understands this distinction is said to be freed from rebirth, even while still acting in the world. Traditions differ on whether this knowledge alone liberates or must be joined with disciplined practice.