Chapter 9, Verse 4 (Bhagavad Gita 9.4)
Chapter 9: Rāja Vidyā Yog – Yoga through the King of Sciences
Sanskrit Shloka
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना। मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः
Transliteration
mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na chāhaṁ teṣhvavasthitaḥ
Word Meanings
mayā—by me; tatam—pervaded; idam—this; sarvam—entire; jagat—cosmic manifestation; avyakta-mūrtinā—the unmanifested form; mat-sthāni—in me; sarva-bhūtāni—all living beings; na—not; cha—and; aham—I; teṣhu—in them; avasthitaḥ—dwell
Translation
By Me, in My unmanifest form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings dwell within Me, yet I do not stand within them.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Shri Krishna unveils the mystery of His inconceivable nature as the transcendent Brahman. While He is the underlying substratum of all creation, He remains eternally distinct and untouched by the limitations of the material world. Like the ocean that contains the waves but is not contained by them, Bhagwan Shri Krishna exists as the source and support of all souls. This verse invites the seeker to recognize that while the Divine is omnipresent, He is also beyond the grasp of material nature, urging us to transcend our worldly identification and seek union with His supreme essence.