Gita 09.06 – Krishna limits not our freedom but the scope of our freedom
Himself is not burdened by the maintenance of the world. Thank you. Situated all the ways.
Vayu, the wind which is Sarvatrago, which goes everywhere. Similarly, all living beings, all living beings are situated in me. So, here Krishna is glorifying the aspect of his transcendent, of his illuminating or explaining his relationship with the material world, which he had talked about earlier.
He stated that, in 9.4, all living beings have existed in me, are sustained by me. 9.5, all living beings are not situated in me. The question may come up, what exactly is going on here? So, Krishna gives an example that this Akash, the sky, we can conceive of it as an upside down bowl.
So, the wind moves within this bowl of the sky and yet the wind is free to move. The sky limits, not the movement of the air, but it limits the scope of the movement of the air. Within the framework of the sky, the wind can move left, right, up, down, laterally.
It can move in various ways. Similarly, within the scope of the existence in this world, within that scope, living beings can move in different directions. Krishna will talk about this in 14.18, when he will state that, that he will state, that those who are situated in goodness will move upwards, those in passion will stay here and those who are in ignorance will go down.
So, when talking thus, his focus is on talking about how the living beings have choices. They can choose which mode they are situated in and depending on the mode that they situate themselves in, they will accordingly get a particular destination. God does not restrict or crush our freedom.
God gives us free will, but then we have, we could say unlimited freedom within a limited framework. This unlimited freedom means that, for example, you know, people can do terrible things. Some people can commit suicide, they can destroy themselves.
Some people can become terrorists and destroy others. Some people can become social workers and do good to others. So, there is definitely the scope for living beings to do different things and that scope is their freedom.
So, considering that somebody can become a Hitler and somebody can become Mother Teresa and the soul inside these two bodies is essentially similar, but by making a variety of different choices, one can destroy millions and the other can help thousands, thousands and thousands like that. There can be a huge difference based on the choices made by people. So, this is, we have unlimited freedom, but still our freedom is not unlimited in absolute sense.
It is unlimited freedom within a limited framework. What is that limited framework? We can't just swim underwater like a fish. We can swim to some extent, but beyond that we need, if we go underwater, then we need scuba diving equipment and even with that, as soon as the oxygen supply runs out, we have to come back.
As soon as, if we are swimming on the surface of the water, the energy gets exhausted, we have to come back like fish. Nor can we live and act like birds, although we can fly by airplanes, but we can't just fly with the same freedom and facility. We don't have that natural facility to fly like birds and we of course can't check our own old age, disease and death.
So, in that sense, we have, we do have limitations to our freedom. The limited framework, even within our body's capacity, even within the human body, different bodies have different capacities and we can't just wish away those limitations that come when we have certain endowments, we also don't have certain things. Some people who are, say, tone deaf with respect to music, then no matter what they do, they just can't learn music.
No matter what they do, they're not going to become the next musical genius or even musically acceptable. It's going to be very difficult for them. So, there are limitations which we can't cure.
So, Krishna is telling that, through this example, So, how are all living beings situated in me? Because they are situated as the air is situated in this car. So, the air is what enables, the air is quite powerful. Sarvatrago and Mahan goes everywhere.
Krishna has used earlier the describer that the soul can also go everywhere. So, Krishna has stated in this section in 2.24 and 2.25 in the Bhagavad Gita that the soul has the potential to exist everywhere. And despite having this potential, that potential, the soul has the capacity to go everywhere in that sense.
The soul is Sarvagataha. And Krishna is talking something similar over here. The wind can go everywhere.
The soul can go everywhere also. But within material existence, the soul cannot get liberated of its own accord. The wind is extremely powerful.
Similarly, soul also has power to make choices. And those choices can have enormous consequences individually, socially, sometimes even globally. All living beings are thus situated in me.
So, now, the point of stressing his relationship with the living beings is to ensure that he, that his supremacy and the living being's independence are seen in proper balance. Although God is omnipotent, He has given us free will. And so, when we act independent of Him and we act in wrong ways, that is not God's will.
Although God allows it to happen, He sanctions it, but it is not that He desires it. And thus, He is independent. He has given us free will within a particular scope.
And then what we do within that scope is up to us. Based on the choices that we make, we will get the consequences. So, now the wind and the sky are unconscious.
Krishna is conscious. The living beings are conscious. And the living beings are the children of Krishna.
Krishna does not get attached to Krishna and Krishna does not try to dominate and control them. And that is His merciful nature. That is how His ignorance is detached.
He cares for us, but still He does not try to control absolutely. He gives us freedom. And that is His merciful nature.
Of course, when He is detached, it does not mean that He is uncaring. He gives us guidance, but He does not impose His will on us. We will discuss further about His relationship with the living beings in the world in future verses.
Thank you.