Though the living beings are in Me, who remain detached and independent, they are not in Me; and though I am in them, I am not in them. An example is given in this verse to illustrate.

The wind remains always situated in the ether, which has a nature of being detached. The wind has a nature of being restless, going everywhere (sarvatra-gaḥ) and is great in size (mahān). Because of the detachment of the ether, the wind is situated in it, but not situated in it—the ether, though in the wind, is not in the wind, because of detachment. Similarly, all things such as ether, which are great in dimension and are moving everywhere, are situated in Me, but are not situated in Me, since I also have the nature of detachment. Please consider and accept this fact. “But You have said that Your powers are inconceivable: paśya me yogam aiśvaram. How then can those powers remain inconceivable if they are just like common ether and wind?” This is explained as follows. Ether has detachment because it is unconscious by its very nature. Among conscious beings however, detachment does not exist anywhere, except in the Lord, even though He is at once contains everything and dwells in everything. This fact establishes the inconceivability of the Lord. In any case, this example, comparing ether to the Lord, is given for the understanding of the common man.

The continued existence and functioning of all moving and non-moving entities depends on My will. The Lord gives an example. The great air which cannot support itself, situated in the great ether which also cannot support itself, moves everywhere. Since they have no supporting power of their own, their existence is enabled by My will alone, and movement takes place through the paramātmā within. This is understood from the śruti: yad bhīṣā vātaḥ pavate: out of fear of the Lord, the wind blows. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.8.1) Just as the air exists and moves in the ether by My will, understand that all beings are situated in Me (mat sthāni), maintained and controlled only by My will alone, while I am not affected by them. If I did not do this, all the elements such as ether would be destroyed. [Note: Rāmānuja gives the same meaning.]

Although the living entities are within Krsna and are dependent on Him ‑ they are still acting independently. Here is the inconceivable relationship between the living entity and Krsna. Because they are completely dependent on Him, the material energy is working according to their desire, yet they are acting independently. If one is completely dependent on someone, can he act independently? But yet the living entity has independence. This is inconceiva ble. This is because, here is the example, as the sky is detached from the wind (the wind is blowing in the sky but the sky is detached), yet the wind is within the sky and is dependent on the sky for its ammount of mouvement, yet it is independently moving. Similarly Krsna is detached from the activities of the living entities, as the wind is detached from the sky. The question could be then: "If this is 'acintya sakti' and an example was just given to explain it, how then is it inconceivable? The answer to this is that 'the sky and the are inert, naturally there is no attachment. But Krsna and the living entities are conscious. And when something is cons it becomes attached to the thing that supports it. And the supporter becomes attached to the thing that it supports. Just like in a mother‑ child relationship. Because there is consciousness they naturally become attached to each other. But Krsna is not attached, He is beyond the living entity and by His supreme will He is beyond everything else. Despite the fact that the relationship between the support and the supporter is there, despite the fact that Krsna is the seed‑ giving father of all living entities, He is completely aloof. Everything is reposed in Him, resting in Him, supported by Him, and He is conscious and the living entities are conscious, yet He is completely detached from the all thing. He is completely independent. And the living entity is acting indepedently but yet he is completely dependent on Krsna. Krsna tried to get out of it in Chapter Five, by saying: "I am not doing anything, it is the material nature that is doing everything." But yet Krsna is the cause of the material nature, He is 'sarva karana karanam', but yet He is completely detached ‑ He is in the spiritual world, but yet everything is resting on Him. Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "For the ordinary person it is almost inconceivable how the huge material creation is resting in Him. But the Lord is giving an example which may help us to understand. The sky may be the biggest manifestation we can conceive. And in that sky the wind or air is the biggest manifestation in the cosmic world. The movement of the air influences the movements of everything. But although the wind is great, it is still situated within the sky; the wind is not beyond the sky. Similarly, all the wonderful cosmic manifestations are existing by the supreme will of God, and all of them are subordinate to that supreme will. As we generally say, not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus everything is moving under His will: by His will everything is being created, everything is being maintained, and everything is being annihilated. Still He is aloof from everything, as the sky is always aloof fro activities of the wind." Although the sky is independent, everything is resting upon it. And although the Lord and the living entities are conscious.