​Gita 10.20 – The transcendent divinity is pervasively immanent in space and time

Bhagavad Gita 10.20. Here Krishna is beginning to describe the list of opulences. Arjuna has earlier asked how am I to remember you in this world? So, in response to that question of Arjuna, Krishna is replying over here.

First Krishna expressed appreciation for that question by stating that this antate kathaishyami, yes, good question, delight, anta is the expression of delight. And then he says that he will speak at the beginning and at the end of this list, Krishna mentioned that he is only giving some examples, he is not giving an exhaustive list. Radha yatha kuru srishta, he is describing the principal opulences.

His point in stating this is that actually, we are finite beings and Krishna is infinite. So, as Krishna is infinite, his glories are also infinite. Because Krishna is infinite, because his glories are infinite.

And even in this material world, which is finite, still his infinite glories can be manifested. When they are manifested, they often can be perceived by us, but in their splendor, in their number, they remain beyond us. So, although God is unknowable, but still he is knowable enough for us to fall in love with him.

So, here, he is giving examples. That I am the soul. I am situated in all living beings.

I am the soul, atma, situated in all living beings. And he uses a name for Arjuna over here, which is Gudakesha, one who is the conqueror of sleep. Gudak is ignorance or darkness, Esha is controller.

Gudakesha is one who is the master of sleep. When he is conquered sleep does not mean that one never sleeps, but that one is able to regulate one's sleep according to one's will. So, the usage of this word over here is also significant.

Now, I am situated in the bodies of all living beings. Now, if this is referring to soul, if Krishna is literally the soul, in the same verse, Krishna is also referring to duality when he says Aham and Gudakesha. So, I, Arjuna, am situated in all bodies.

All bodies includes Sarva, includes Arjuna also. And yet Arjuna is being referred to by a distinct name Gudakesha. So, this verse is not talking about the absolute oneness of all living beings, because while making the statement of oneness itself, the verse is also talking about twoness.

Aham and Gudakesha. I and Arjuna, Gudakesha. And then he is talking about Sarvabhutasya in all living beings.

So, from the context, it becomes clear that what is being talked about is not the soul, but the super-soul. Krishna will talk about this repeatedly in the Bhagavad Gita later when he states that he is the Sarvasya chavaham hrdi sannyamishto, that he is situated in the hearts of all living beings. Eshwaras sarvabhutana hrdeshe arjunatishtati.

He is situated in the region of the heart of all living beings. So, the same point is here Krishna is not referring to the soul, he is referring to the super-soul. And that super-soul is present in all living beings.

And being present in all living beings, he is the immanent divinity. Bhagavan is the transcendent divinity and Paramatma is the immanent divinity. It's interesting that when Krishna talks about his manifestations in this material world, his vidhuti, he begins that list by first talking about his manifestation as the super-soul.

The super-soul is the most prominent, most pervasive, immanent manifestation of the supreme. There will be many things given in this list later among the five commanders and Skanda, among the water bodies and the ocean, like that. But these are within the broad material existence, something which is outstanding that is declared as the manifestation of the divine, as the vibhuti of the divine.

But Krishna begins that list by telling that, we need to recognize that divinity is not just present in some things in this world, divinity is pervasively immanent in this world, that So, bhuta can mean living beings, bhuta can mean all of existence also. Sarva-bhuta, in all of material existence. And that understanding also gels with the second half of the verse, Krishna says that he pervades space and he pervades time, that he is present in all, he is the beginning, the middle and the end of all living beings.

That means those living beings cannot sustain their existence without him, without his grace, without his presence. And in material existence, there are two main things, if we look at matter and space. So, Krishna is saying that he pervades all of matter and he pervades all of space.

And thus, all of the cosmos is potentially divine, is potentially sacred. Of course, it is sacred, but potentiality is in our capacity for perceiving its sanctity. And to the extent we become conscious of Krishna, to the extent we tune our consciousness spiritually, to that extent we start realizing how Krishna is wonderfully, inconceivably, pervasively present with us, within us and without us, always.

He is with us, within us and without us. With us, within as a super soul, without as the material energy, which also he pervades. And when Arjuna asks, how Krishna, how can I remember you in this world? Krishna gives a universal answer by stating that he is present in all of existence as the super soul manifestation.

And through that super soul manifestation, he pervades all of existence, and not just in terms of space, but also in terms of time. It is he who sustains all living beings in all phases of their existence, beginning, middle and end. Thank you.