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Bhagavad-gītā 9.5

న చ మత్స్థాని భూతాని పశ్య మే యోగమైశ్వరమ్ । భూతభృన్న చ భూతస్థో మమాత్మా భూతభావన: ॥ ౫ ॥
na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni
[na cha mat-sthaani bhootaani]
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
[pashya me yogam aishvaram]
bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho
[bhoota-bhrin na cha bhoota-stho]
mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
[mamaatmaa bhoota-bhaavanah]
Word-for-word
na — never ca — also mat - sthāni — situated in Me bhūtāni — all creation paśya — just see me — My yogam aiśvaram — inconceivable mystic power bhūta - bhṛt — the maintainer of all living entities na — never ca — also bhūta - sthaḥ — in the cosmic manifestation mama — My ātmā — Self bhūta - bhāvanaḥ — the source of all manifestations .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni
na
never
ca
also
mat - sthāni
situated in Me
bhūtāni
all creation
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
paśya
just see
me
My
yogam aiśvaram
inconceivable mystic power
bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho
bhūta - bhṛt
the maintainer of all living entities
na
never
ca
also
bhūta - sthaḥ
in the cosmic manifestation
mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
mama
My
ātmā
Self
bhūta - bhāvanaḥ
the source of all manifestations .
Important Words
  • yogam aiśvaram — mystic opulence
    Yoga + aiśvarya. Kṛṣṇa's yoga is not the practitioner's yoga of struggle; it is His sovereign power of doing the impossible — being everywhere and nowhere, source of all yet untouched by any. Aiśvara comes from īśvara — opulence proper to the Lord.
  • bhūta - bhṛt — the maintainer of all beings
    Bhūta + √bhṛ (to bear, support). Kṛṣṇa sustains every living thing — the breath in your lungs is His maintenance. Yet in the same line He is also bhūta-sthaḥ na — not residing in them. Both simultaneously.
  • bhūta - bhāvanaḥ — the source of all beings
    Bhāvana — the one who causes to be. Not only maintains existing beings but originates them. The triple role — source, sustainer, untouched — collapses what philosophy elsewhere keeps in three boxes.
  • ātmā — Self
    Mama ātmā — My Self. Kṛṣṇa uses ātmā for His own personal Self, distinguishing it from material beings He sources. The Absolute is not impersonal; He has an ātmā the way you do, though infinitely vast.
  • paśya — behold
    Imperative, second person singular — see! Kṛṣṇa is not asking Arjuna to deduce this; He commands him to look. The yoga aiśvara is meant to be witnessed, not theorized.
And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation.
Purport

The Lord says that everything is resting on Him ( mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni ). This should not be misunderstood. The Lord is not directly concerned with the maintenance and sustenance of this material manifestation. Sometimes we see a picture of Atlas holding the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired, holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in connection with Kṛṣṇa’s upholding this created universe. He says that although everything is resting on Him, He is aloof. The planetary systems are floating in space, and this space is the energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is different from space. He is differently situated. Therefore the Lord says, “Although they are situated on My inconceivable energy, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead I am aloof from them.” This is the inconceivable opulence of the Lord. In the Nirukti Vedic dictionary it is said, yujyate ’nena durghaṭeṣu kāryeṣu: “The Supreme Lord is performing inconceivably wonderful pastimes, displaying His energy.” His person is full of different potent energies, and His determination is itself actual fact. In this way the Personality of Godhead is to be understood. We may think of doing something, but there are so many impediments, and sometimes it is not possible to do as we like. But when Kṛṣṇa wants to do something, simply by His willing, everything is performed so perfectly that one cannot imagine how it is being done. The Lord explains this fact: although He is the maintainer and sustainer of the entire material manifestation, He does not touch this material manifestation. Simply by His supreme will, everything is created, everything is sustained, everything is maintained and everything is annihilated. There is no difference between His mind and Himself (as there is a difference between ourselves and our present material mind) because He is absolute spirit. Simultaneously the Lord is present in everything; yet the common man cannot understand how He is also present personally. He is different from this material manifestation, yet everything is resting on Him. This is explained here as yogam aiśvaram, the mystic power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
5. And the living beings as well are not situated in Me. See my power of yoga. My body, maintaining them and protecting them, is not in them.
Commentary

“Though everything is situated in Me, they are not situated in Me, since I am completely independent of everything.” “But this is contrary to what You said before: that You are pervading the universe and that You are the shelter of the universe.” “See My supernatural (yogam) power (aiśvaryam), My extraordinary skill in doing what cannot be done! And see also something else which is astonishing. Even though I am the maintainer of all the living beings (bhūtā-bhṛt) in the universe, and the protector of them all (bhūtā-bhāvanaḥ), I, in My spiritual body (mamātmā), am not situated in them (na bhūtā-sthaḥ).” Since in the Lord there is no difference between the body and the soul, the expression “My body” (mamātmā) is employed in the manner of the expression “the head of Rāhu.” Though Rāhu and his head are non-different, [Note: Rāhu has only a head and no other bodily part.] as Kṛṣṇa and His body are non-different, the possessive case is used, making some distinction. The meaning is this: the jīvas accept a body, protect it, and, developing attachment to it, remain in that body. But though I accept all the living beings and protect them— though they are My material body consisting of all creatures—I am not situated there, because I am not attached.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
5. And the living beings are not in Me. See the inconceivable power of My body. My mind, I maintain them and protecting them, is not in them.
Commentary

“But it would be very tiring for You to carry such a heavy burden as the universe.” “The things created by Me are not within Me like water in a pot. (na ca mat sthāni bhūṭāni)” “But in the previous verse You said that everything was situated in You (mat sthāni sarva bhūtāni) and in this verse You contradict this by saying everything is not in You (na ca mat sthāni bhūtāni).” “Understand (paśya) that this is My extraordinary yoga (yogam aiśvaryam).” Yoga means “the means by which something very difficult to accomplish is accomplished.” Yoga thus refers here to the Lord’s body endowed with inconceivable śakti, whose quality is that His every desire is fulfilled without effort (satya saṇkalpatā śakti). The Lord then clarifies the issue. “I maintain and protect all beings (bhūta bhṛt) but am not situated in or mixed with them at all, because My mind (mama ātmā) carries out their welfare (bhūta bhāvaṇaḥ). I maintain and protect them by My extraordinary yoga, by My satya saṇkalpatā śakti. I do not have to utilize My body to do this.” The śruti confirms this: etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi sūryācandram asau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhata etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāv āpṛthivyau vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ By the command of that imperishable, O Gārgi, sun and moon remain in their positions. By the command of that imperishable, O Gārgî, heaven and earth remain in their positions. Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.8 Though the Lord’s mind is non-different from His body, one makes practical distinctions through the power of viśesā, as one does in statements such as “Being exists.” [Note: Viśeṣa is thus the peculiar characteristic or potency of things which makes description and talk of difference possible, whereas a matter of fact only identity exists. It is the power of things in themselves which, through an underlying identity of essence, enables us to distinguish a particular from its universal; a quality from its substance; motion or power or energy from things possessing them; the svarūpa from the possessor of the svarūpa. The sentence “being exists” makes sense, though the words actually mean the same thing, because of making distinctions within oneness. See the commentary on 1.1 for the same example.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Not only Krsna says "They are resting on Me but I am not in them", but He continues "Although I am not in them yet everything that is created does not rest in Me." Before He said that "everything in Me" and now He says "everything th created does not rest in Me". Misteriously enough, although everything is in Krsna, they are not in Krsna, because He is somewhere else. Everything is in Him but everything is not in Him, because He is somewhere else. This is contradictory. Therefore this is called 'acintya sakti'. Arjuna asked the question: "How is it possible? It seems like You contradict Yourself by these two verses." And Krsna answers: "Yes, this is My 'pasya me yogam aisvaryam', My mystic opulence!" Although everything is resting because Krsna is completely separated even though everything is resting in Him, all that that is resting on Him is not a burden on Him at all, because He is separated. This is Krsna's mystic opulences. He is completely somewhere else in the spiritual world, yet everything is resting on Him (in His energy), but He is completely aloof. Completely aloof but everything is resting on Him. To help us to understand this contradiction and this mystic 'acintya' explanation of how Krsna relates with this material energy, in Text 6 Krsna gives an example.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Yogam-aisvaram explained – After explaining that all beings rest in Him, Lord says the opposite; that

they do not rest in Him. This contradictory language is meant to show that He is personally aloof from the

workings of the universe and that such functions are carried out by His energies

Focus of Learning

PLEASE NOTE: The points headings below are related to the translation and the points of the purport are explained

in their subpoints

(a) “All Pervading” – Lord pervades the entire universe

(b) “How He is all pervading”

‘Avyakta-murtina’ – indicates “In unmanifested form” – This implies that we cannot see the Lord by our gross material senses
The Lord is unmanifest to material senses but can be perceived by one whose senses are purified by the practice of devotional service
Only way to see the Lord – Practice pure devotional service under proper guidance. 2 Scriptural quotes to support this:
Ref. Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu 1.2.234: “Atah Sri Krishna…”
Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.38: “Premanjana…”

(c) “All beings are in Me” – This implies that everything rests in Him

Ref. Bg. Chapter 7: Entire cosmic manifestation is a combination of superior and inferior energies of the Supreme Lord (Ref. Bg. 7.5 and 7.6)
Analogy: Sunshine spread all over the creation / All universes are resting in sunshine; similarly all creation is resting in His energy

(d) “I am not in them” – This Implies that the Lord by all pervasiveness does not lose His personal

existence

Refutes that “Since God is all pervading, He has lost His personal existence”
Analogy: King heads the government and is present in all the departments by his energies
Supporting Ref. Bg. 10.42: “Vistabhyam...”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
9.5 Na ca bhutani, nor do the beings, beginning from Brahma; matsthani, dwell in Me. Pasya, behold; me, My; aisvaram, divine; yogam, Yoga, action, performance, i.e. this real nature of Myself. The Upanisadic text, too, similarly shows the absence of association (of the Self) due to Its being free from contact: '৷৷.unattached, for It is never attached' (Br. 3.9.26). Behold this other wonder: I am the bhuta-bhrt, sustainer of beings, though I am unattached. Ca, but; mama atma, My Self; na bhutasthah, is not contained in the bengs. As it has been explained according to the logic stated above, there is no possibility of Its remaining contained in beings. How, again, is it said, 'It is My Self? Following human understanding, having separated the aggregate of body etc. (from the Self) and superimposing eoism of them, the Lord calls It 'My Self'. But not that He has said so by ignorantly thinking like ordinary mortals that the Self is different from Himself. So also, I am the bhuta-bhavanah, originator of beings, one who gives birth to or nourishes the beings. By way of establishing with the help of an illustration the subject-matter [Subject-matter-that the Self, which has no contact with anything, is the substratum of creation, continuance and dissolution.] dealt with in the aforesaid two verses, the Lord says:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
9.5 And yet 'beings do not abide in Me,' as I do not support them as a jug or any kind of vessel supports the water contained in them. How then are they contained? By My will. Behold My divine Yoga power, namely, My wonderful divine modes, unie to Me alone and having no comparison elsewhere. What are these modes? 'I am the upholder of all beings and yet I am not in them - My will sustains all beings.' The meaning is I am the supporter of all beings, and yet I derive no help for Myself whatever from them. My will alone projects, sustains and controls all beings. He gives an illustration to show how all beings depend on His will for their being and acts:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
9.5 Na ca etc. Yet, the beings do not exist in Me : For, the persons, who are blind with nescience, do not see the reality. The ignorant do not consider the Absolute Lord - Who is of the nature of infinite Consciousness - as a basis of determinate knowledge of all objects. On the other hand conceiving [like] 'I, the lean Devadatta, know this, as existing here on the floor', they view [things of] finite nature aone as the basis [of determination]. But why this contradiction ? On this doubt [the Lord] says Look at the Sovereign Yoga of Mine. Yoga signifies the Power [of the Absolute], because it is being employed. This is indeed My Sovereignty, which is the Freedom of behaving in this manner in a highly strange way. This is the idea (here).
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
9.5 Nor do beings exist in Me (in reality); behold My divine Yoga, supporting all beings, but not dwelling in them, is My Self, the efficient cause of beings.
Commentary

9.5 न not? च and? मत्स्थानि dwelling in Me? भूतानि beings? पश्य behold? मे My? योगम् Yoga? ऐश्वरम् Divine? भूतभृत् supporting the beings? न not? च and? भूतस्थः dwelling in the beings? मम My? आत्मा Self? भूतभावनः bringing forth beings.Commentary Brahman or the Self no connection with any object as It is very subtle and attributes and formless and so It is unattached (Asanga). There cannot be any real connection between matter and Spirit. Saakara (an object with form) can have no connection with Nirakara (the formless). How could this be Devoid of attachment It is never attached. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad? III.9.26) Though unattached? It supports all beings It is the efficient or instrumental cause It brings forth all beings but It does not dwell in them? because It is unconnected with any object. This is a great mystery. Just as the dreamer has no connection with the dream object? just as ether or air has no connection with the vessel? so also Brahman has no connection with the objects or the body. The connection between the Self and the physical body is illusory.The Adhishthana or support (Brahman) for the illusory object (Kalpitam) superimposed on,Brahman has no connection whatsoever with the alities or the defects of the objects that are superimposed on the Absolute. The snake is superimposed on a rope. The rope is the support (Adhishthana) for the illusory snake (Kalpitam). This is an example of superimposition or Adhyasa. (Cf.VII.25X.7.XI.8)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
9.5 Nor do the beings dwell in Me. Behod My divine Yoga! I am the sustainer and originator of beings, but My Self is not contained in the beings.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
9.5 Nevertheless, they do not consciously abide in Me. Such is My Divine Sovereignty that though I, the Supreme Self, am the cause and upholder of all, yet I remain outside.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.4 BG 11.7 BG 10.7 SB 1.3.30 SB 2.9.34 SB 10.29.1 CC Ādi 7.117 CC Madhya 20.152 CC Madhya 21.35 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.10Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8
Concepts
Bhava
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
And yet beings do not rest in Me — behold My yogic mystery; My self maintains all beings, generates them, but is not in them.
Practical Applications
  • Acknowledge the inconceivable nature of Kṛṣṇa's relation to creation.
  • Don't try to logic-out what is acintya (inconceivable).
  • Accept paradox as the right shape of cosmic truth.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I demand resolution where mystery is appropriate?
  • What does living-with-mystery look like?
Analogy

The sun is the source of every drop of water on earth, sustains every plant, and is reflected in every pond — yet the sun does not sit in any of the ponds. Pull a bucket of water from the well; you will not draw out the sun, though the sun made the water. So Kṛṣṇa: source, sustainer, present everywhere, yet not contained anywhere. Paśya me yogam aiśvaram — behold this inconceivable opulence.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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