Arjuna said: Oh Kṛṣṇa!, I desire to know nature, spirit, the field, the knower of the field, knowledge and the object of knowledge.

Arjuna requests instruction on the six topics that structure this chapter: prakṛti and puruṣa — the basic cosmic duality of Sāṅkhya — along with their specific manifestations as field (kṣetra) and knower of the field (kṣetra-jña).

The pair jñāna (knowledge) and jñeya (object of knowledge) establishes the epistemological framework. All knowledge implies a knowing subject, a known object, and the act of knowing itself.

The invocation to Keśava — “the one with beautiful hair” — indicates respect. Arjuna recognizes that this teaching transcends philosophical speculation; it requires divine guidance.