BG 13.20

 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 20 (13.20) is commonly translated as:

“Prakṛti (material nature) and Puruṣa (the conscious self) are both understood to be beginningless. The modifications and the three guṇas (qualities of nature) are said to arise from Prakṛti.”

Sanskrit (transliteration):
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān

Simple meaning

• Prakṛti = material nature (body, mind, matter, emotions, the changing world)
• Puruṣa = consciousness / the experiencer / the self (ātman)
• Guṇas = the three qualities of nature: sattva (clarity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia)

The verse says:

• Both consciousness (puruṣa) and material nature (prakṛti) are beginningless.
• All changes, forms, and qualities in the material world arise from prakṛti.
• The self experiences, while nature acts and transforms.

In the flow of Chapter 13 (“The Field and the Knower of the Field”), this verse begins explaining the relationship between the body/matter and the conscious self, which becomes central in the next verses (13.21–13.23).

Different traditions interpret this differently:

• In Sāṅkhya philosophy, puruṣa and prakṛti are distinct eternal principles.
• In Vedānta, especially as interpreted by commentators like Adi Shankaracharya, the relationship is understood within the framework of ultimate unity under Brahman.

If you want, I can also give  13.20 with word-by-word meaning or a  commentary from Śaṅkara, Ramanuja, or Prabhupada.