Advertisements

Category Archives: sarvam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 46, Chapter 18

04 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.46, abhyarchya, bhootaanaam, chapter 18 verse 46, idam, maanavaha, pravrittihi, sarvam, siddhim, svakarmanaa, tatam, vindanti, yataha, yena

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 46, Chapter 18

yataha pravrittirbhootaanaam yena sarvamidam tatam |
svakarmanaa tambhyarchya siddhim vindanti maanavaha || 46 ||
 
From whom arises the origin of all beings, by which this entire creation is pervaded, having worshipped that through his duty, the person attains perfection.
 
yataha : from whom
pravrittihi : origin
bhootaanaam : of all beings
yena : by which
sarvam : entire creation
idam : this
tatam : is pervaded
svakarmanaa : his duty
tam : that
abhyarchya : having worshipped
siddhim : perfection
vindanti : attains
maanavaha : person
 
Shri Krishna says that we should submit the performance of our duty as an offering to Ishvara. Only then does it result in the samsiddhi, the foremost accomplishment, the perfection that was spoken of earlier. Otherwise, mere performance of our duty will result in merits and demerits, paapa and punya, which will further trap us in the cycle of samsaara. We have to inject bhakti or devotion to Ishvara into all our actions. In other words, karma yoga and bhakti yoga need to go together. Performance of duty with devotion to Ishvara reduces the ego, the gigantic bundle of likes, dislikes and fears which is an obstacle to liberation.
 
Even in our daily lives, actions performed with devotion to someone or something have a different kind of feeling. They allow us to channel energy that we never thought we had. A mother will work tirelessly, day and night, for the benefit of her children. Freedom fighters gave their lives for the service of the nation. Offering actions to Ishvara, however, has the effect of reducing the sense of enjoyership, the bhokta bhaava, the pursuit of actions driven by likes and dislikes. Selfless service reduces the sense of kartaa bhaava, the notion that the I has to perform an action to remove some incompleteness. We become instruments of Ishvara’s will, so there is no room for personal will.
 
Now, who is this Ishvara? He is the source, the origin of all beings, the intelligence cause, like the potter of a clay pot. He is also the material cause, the stuff by which everything is created, like the clay in a clay pot. When we offer our actions to the creator and sustainer of the universe, we lose all fear of the future, since we accept whatever comes our way as a prasaada, a gift from Ishvara. So there is no personal will, there is no personal preference, there is no fear. Doership, likes, dislikes and fears are nothing but the ego. It then, slowly withers away through karma yoga.

Advertisements

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 13

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.13, aavritya, akshishiromukham, chapter 13 verse 13, loke, paanipaadam, sarvam, sarvataha, shrutimat, tat, tishthati

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 13

sarvatahapaanipaadam tatsarvatokshishiromukham |
sarvatahashrutimalloke sarvamaavritya tishthati || 13 ||
 
With hands and legs everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, it is established in all the worlds, pervading all.
 
sarvataha : everywhere
paanipaadam : hands and legs
tat : it
sarvataha : everywhere
akshishiromukham : eyes, heads and mouths
sarvataha : everywhere
shrutimat : eyes
loke : worlds
sarvam : everywhere
aavritya : pervading
tishthati : established
 
How does a child come to learn about electricity? The teacher does not directly tell him that “electricity is defined as a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles such as electrons or protons”. The teacher uses what the child already knows and imparts the knowledge to him step by step. So the teacher may first say that to the child: wherever you see bright light in a bulb, that is electricity. Once the child has grasped this concept, then the teacher may say: wherever you see wires connected, that is electricity. Slowly, as the child is able to understand the nuances of atoms and electrons, the teacher then reveals to him the technical definition.
 
Shri Krishna uses a similar process to gently reveal the nature of brahman, the eternal essence, also known as “jnyeyam” or the knowable, to us. Now, it is quite easy for us to see action and sentience – the power to experience things – in living creatures everywhere. So Shri Krishna says that wherever we see action in living beings, symbolically represented by the phrase “hands and legs”, we should recognize the presence of the eternal essence. Furthermore, wherever we see sentience in living beings, symbolically represented by the phrase “eyes, heads, mouths and ears”, we should recognize the presence of the eternal essence.
 
Going back to the example of the child learning electricity, the child may sometimes think that the electricity in a bulb is different than the electricity in a fan, or that the bulb limits the flow of electricity to the fan. To remove any similar misconceptions about the eternal essence, Shri Krishna says that the eternal essence pervades everywhere. In other words, it is only one eternal essence that is functioning through the organs of knowledge and action of all living creatures in all of the worlds, and that one organ does not limit the functioning of the eternal essence in another organ.
 
An example commonly used to illustrate this notion is that of space and pot-space. The space that is in a clay pot and the space outside it is the same. But just because the walls of the pot surround it, we label the space inside as “pot-space”. The pot is a classic example of an upaadhi, something that as though limits the space in it, but does not do so in reality. Space, then, pervades all pots. Similarly, the organs of all living creatures may seem to limit the eternal essence, but not so in reality.
 
Having established the starting point for realizing the eternal essence, Shri Krishna goes one step further in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 11

23 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.40, amitavikramaha, anantaveerya, asi, astu, atha, chapter 11 verse 40, eva, namaha, prishtataha, purastaat, samaapnoshi, sarvaha, sarvam, sarvataha, tataha, te, tvam

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 11

namaha purastaadatha prishtataste namostu te sarvata eva sarva |
anantaveeryaamitavikramastvam sarvam samaapnoshi tatosi sarvaha || 40 ||
 
Salutations to you from before and behind. Indeed, let there be salutations to you everywhere, O one with infinite power, O one with infinite valour. You pervade all, therefore you are everything.
 
namaha : salutations
purastaat : before
atha : and
prishtataha : behind
te : you
namaha : salutations
astu : may there be
te : you
sarvataha : everywhere
eva : indeed
sarvaha : all
anantaveerya : infinite power
amitavikramaha : infinite valour
tvam : you
sarvam : all
samaapnoshi : pervade
tataha : therefore
asi : you are
sarvaha : everything
 
Arjuna, wielder of Lord Shiva’s Gaandiva bow, was universally regarded as one of the foremost archers of his time. So far, he thought that it was his might and power that was defeating the Kauravas. But now, after beholding the cosmic form, his pride had dropped completely. In this shloka, he acknowledged that his power and valour came from Ishvara, and that he was only the “nimitta”, the instrument for channeling that power.
 
Now, we have seen ten chapters of the Gita. Each chapter is called a “yoga”, because it takes us higher and higher in our spiritual journey if we can understand and implement its teaching. In the previous chapter, Shri Krishna wanted Arjuna to see the one Ishvara in all beings, to see unity in diversity. In this chapter, he wanted Arjuna to see all beings in that one Ishvara, to see diversity ultimately subsumed into unity. Shri Krishna’s goal was fulfilled when Arjuna realized the truth expounded in the Upanishads, declaring here that Ishvara pervades everything, and that he ultimately is everything.
 
So when he recognized Ishwara as the infinite source of all power and valour, and in fact, the ultimate source and cause of everything, Arjuna could not help but repeatedly offer salutations to that cosmic form. But as we saw earlier, he had lost all notions of space and direction. He did not know what was north or south, or what was up or down. So giddy was his state of mind that he wanted to offer salutations to Ishvara from the front, back and all directions.
 
Offering our salutations to Ishvara, also known as “vandanam”, is considered one of nine methods of worship. Shree Ramdas Samartha has devoted an entire section of the Dasbodh to describe the glories of vandanam. He considers it one of the simplest and most effective tools to connect with Ishvara. By its very nature, offering salutations or bowing to someone automatically eliminates our ahankaara, our ego, the primary obstacle to connecting with Ishvara.
 
Having understood the purpose of the cosmic form, Arjuna began to ask for Shri Krishna’s forgiveness next.
 
Footnotes
1. Vandanam is elaborated in the fifth section of the fourth chapter of the Dasbodh.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 10

14 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.14, bhagavan, chapter 10 verse 14, daanavaahaa, devaaha, etat, hi, keshava, maam, manye, na, ritam, sarvam, te, vadasi, viduhu, vyaktim, yat

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 10

sarvametadritam manye yanmaam vadasi keshava |
na hi te bhagavanvyaktim vidurdevaa na daanavaahaa || 14 ||
 
What you are speaking to me, O Keshava, I acknowledge all this to be true. For O Lord, neither the deities nor the demons know your manifestation.
 
sarvam : all
etat : this
ritam : truth
manye : acknowledge
yat : whatever
maam : to me
vadasi : speak
keshava : O Keshava
na : neither
hi : for
te : to you
bhagavan : O Lord
vyaktim : manifestation
viduhu : know
devaaha : deities
na : nor
daanavaahaa : demons
 
Since the start of the Gita, we have seen Arjuna speak whenever he has a doubt or needs further clarification. With this shloka, Arjuna acknowledges that he has completely understood the true nature of Ishvara since the knowledge is coming from the source, from Ishvara himself.
 
It is interesting to note the use of the name “Keshava” to refer to Shri Krishna. “Ka” represents Lord Brahma and “Isha” represents Lord Shiva. So Keshava is the one who harmonizes the powers of creation and destruction. In other words, Ishvara creates, sustains and dissolves the universe of names and forms.
 
Since Ishvara is the origin of everything, Arjuna says that no deity, human or demon can claim to know Ishvara in totality because Ishvara came before any of them. Another interpretation of this statement is that no sense organ such as the eye or ear can claim to know Ishvara. Unlike worldly knowledge about objects, the knowledge of Ishvara can only be known as a subject. Tulsidas says this poetically in the Tulsi Ramayana : “Jaanat tumahi tumahi hui jaayi”. One who knows you becomes you. All sense of individuality, the sense of I, the subject, goes away when one merges into Ishvara.
 
So then, if no deity, human or demon can know Ishvara, who can? Arjuna gives the answer in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 10

07 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.8, aham, bhaavasamanvitaahaa, bhajante, budhaahaa, chapter 10 verse 8, iti, maam, mattaha, matvaa, prabhavaha, pravartate, sarvam, sarvasya

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 10

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattaha sarvam pravartate |
iti matvaa bhajante maam budhaa bhaavasamanvitaahaa || 8 ||
 
I am the cause of everything, everything originates from me. Realizing this, wise individuals filled with this attitude worship me.
 
aham : I
sarvasya : everything
prabhavaha : cause
mattaha : from me
sarvam : everything
pravartate : originates
iti : this
matvaa : realizing
bhajante : worship
maam : me
budhaahaa : wise individuals
bhaavasamanvitaahaa : filled with this attitude
 
“Avikampena yoga”, the unwavering, unshakeable yoga, is defined by Shri Krishna as knowing that Ishvara is the cause of everything, and that everything originates from Ishvara. Those who have established themselves in this yoga are “budhaa”, they are wise. They only worship or contemplate upon Ishvara, remaining unaffected by the ups and downs in life.
 
Imagine an adult and a child walking inside a haunted house within an amusement park. Though both of them see and hear the same things, they have different reactions. The child thinks that the ghosts and the eerie noises are real and becomes afraid. The adult knows that everything inside is fake, it is unreal. So enjoys the thrill of the haunted house without being afraid.
 
The difference between the adult and the child is that the adult has knowledge about the cause of the ghosts and the noises. Similarly, Shri Krishna says that one who knows Ishvara as the cause of everything will develop an extremely positive attitude towards life. He will take failures as learning opportunities, not as triggers for depression. He will never question why something bad happened to him, knowing that it is a result of his prior actions.
 
One who has developed such an outlook towards life will worship Ishvara at all times. This is indicated by the worlds “maam bhajante”. He will experience sorrow only if he forgets that Ishvara is the cause of everything. When one has understood that Ishvara, as the cause of everything, also is the ultimate goal, then they become totally immersed in Ishvara, as described in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 9

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in 9.4, aham, avasthitaha, avyakta, bhootaani, cha, chapter 9 verse 4, idam, jagat, matsthaani, mayaa, moortinaa, na, sarva, sarvam, tatam, teshu

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 9

mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa |
matsthaani sarva bhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitaha || 4 ||
 
This entire universe is pervaded by my unmanifest state. All beings are based in me, I am not based in them.
 
mayaa : my
tatam : pervaded
idam : this
sarvam : entire
jagat : universe
avyakta : unmanifest
moortinaa : state
matsthaani : based in me
sarva : all
bhootaani : beings
na : not
cha : and
aham : I
teshu : in them
avasthitaha : based
 
This shloka and the next are the crux of the teaching in this chapter. Shri Krishna makes three core points: that the entire universe is pervaded by his unmanifest state, that all beings are based in him, and that he is not based in them. Let us first take a step back to understand the context of this teaching before we delve into these three points.
 
The eighth chapter described meditative techniques that we had to follow throughout our lives in order to attain Ishvara, so that we can be liberated from the cycle of creation and dissolution. Now, Shri Krishna reveals a secret that will enable us to immediately gain access to Ishvara 24/7. And unlike other techniques described so far, we do not have to do any action. We just have to know.
 
What is this secret knowledge? Let us start with the first point. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is present in every living and non-living being within this universe. If that’s the case, then we do not need to put in any extra effort. Once we train ourselves to view Ishvara in everything, we will gain access to him 24/7. We will not need to do any extra physical or mental activity to make that happen. But if it were that simple, why cannot we put it into practice immediately? It is because we have been preconditioned since time immemorial to see everything but Ishvara. Removing this preconditioning is the topic of the Gita.
 
The second point made by Shri Krishna is that all beings are based in him. Let us bring up the example of the ocean and the waves to understand this point. A five year old girl sitting on the beach will look at the waves, the foam and the ripples and conclude that they are independent things. But her mother knows that all of those shapes are created because of the ocean. Also, the girl who has to inquire about where these shapes come from. The mother does not have to do anything. She just knows that everything is nothing but water in the ocean. So the mother will tell her, “that’s just the ocean”.
 
Now, let’s say the girl sees a ripple in a lake instead of the ocean. She points to it and says “that’s the ocean”. The mother will now enhance her statement slightly by saying “that is not the ocean, that is a ripple. It is just a shape taken by water, which is in the ocean and in the lake”. Water is an abstract concept which a child slowly learns by example.
 
Similarly, we may begin to think that Ishvara is resident in an idol, or a saint, or a holy place. Like the ripple, they are names and forms. Even Arjuna would have found it hard to believe that Shri Krishna, who is in front of him, can pervade the entire universe. So therefore, Shri Krishna says that no visible entity can ever contain Ishvara who is beyond name and form. The true nature of Ishvara is formless. This is the third point in this shloka.
 
Still, a question remains. Just like we still see waves in the ocean even after knowing that they are water, we still come across thousands of names and forms everyday. Many of those names and forms are people that we interact with, speak with, work with and so on. Aren’t those people “real”? How do we reconcile this? Shri Krishna addresses this confusion in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 8

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.22, ananyayaa, antahasthaani, bhaktyaam, bhootaani, chapter 8 verse 22, idam, labhyaha, paartha, paraha, purushaha, saha, sarvam, tatam, yasya, yena

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 8

purushaha sa paraha paartha bhaktyaa labhyastvananyayaa |
yasyaantahasthaani bhootaani yena sarvamidam tatam || 22 ||
 
That supreme person, in whom all beings are included, by whom all this is pervaded, O Paartha, is obtained through single-pointed devotion.
 
purushaha : person
saha : that
paraha : supreme
paartha : O Paartha
bhaktyaa : with devotion
labhyaha : obtained
ananyayaa : single pointed
yasya : in whom
antahasthaani : are included
bhootaani : all beings
yena : by whom
sarvam : all
idam : this
tatam : pervaded
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna summarizes the topic of liberation. The detail around the creation and dissolution of the universe was meant to highlight the notion that only through liberation can we rise above that endless cycle. Shri Krishna gives us the means for liberation as well as the attributes of the goal which is Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna says that liberation is obtained through single-pointed devotion to Ishvara. Single-pointed devotion was covered in chapter six. However, here it is meant to include not just devotion but also karma yoga. If the karma yoga aspect is missing, our vaasanaas or latent desires will remain unfulfilled, pulling us back into the cycle of rebirth so that they will be fulfilled.
 
Now, what is Ishvara’s connection to creation and dissolution? Ultimately, Ishvara is the cause of all creation. But he is not someone who stands outside his creation. The classic example referenced in this context is that of the potter and the pot. The potter creates the pot out of clay, but remains outside the pot, distinct from the pot. Ishvara is not like that. He is like the ocean that creates waves. The waves are pervaded by the ocean and are also included in the ocean. So is the case with Ishvara. Therefore, Ishvara is everywhere (beyond space) and
ever present (beyond time).
 
Having conclude the topic of liberation, Shri Krishna begins the last topic of this chapter in the next shloka. He describes the two paths that seekers have to travel through after they pass away.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 7

15 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.19, ante, bahoonaam, chapter 7 verse 19, iti, janmanaam, jnyaanavaan, maam, mahaatmaa, prapadyate, saha, sarvam, sudurlabhaha, vaasudevaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 7

bahoonaam janmanaamante jnyaanavaanmaam prapadyate |
vaasudevaha sarvamiti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhaha || 19 ||
 
At the end of several births, the wise one seeks my refuge knowing that Vaasudev is everything. Such an individual is supreme and extremely rare.
 
bahoonaam : several
janmanaam : births
ante : end of
jnyaanavaan : the wise one
maam : my
prapadyate : seeks refuge
vaasudevaha : Vaasudev
sarvam : everything is
iti : in this manner
saha : he
mahaatmaa : supreme individual
sudurlabhaha : extremely rare
 
Shri Krishna previously pointed out that the wise devotee is special because he does not use Ishvara to gain anything else but Ishvara. He treats Ishvara no different than his own self. Here, Shri Krishna emphasizes the fact that such people, who know that the ultimate cause of everything is Ishvara, are extremely rare and exalted. In fact, it has taken them several lives worth of effort to get to this stage.
 
Let us examine the nature of this effort that has led to this vision of the wise devotee. This effort is of two types – the dawning of knowledge that there is a single cause behind everything, and the surrender of one’s ego to that single cause or Ishvara. There is no specific order in which these can happen first, but both are necessary. The individual who has gone through so much effort to get to this stage is most certainly rare and privileged.
 
Now, we need to be careful in how we interpret the second half of this shloka. “Vaasudev” means one who resides in all, as well as one in whom everything and everyone resides. In other words, the phrase “Vaasudev is everything” denotes “Ishvara is everything”. If we get stuck with the image of “Vaasudev”, if we forget that Vaasudev is an indicator for the one Ishvara, we will begin to develop a fanatic attitude towards people who worship other deities.
 
Next, Shri Krishna elaborates on the topic of worship for finite gain.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 7

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.13, abhijaanaati, avyayam, bhaavaihi, chapter 7 verse 13, ebhihi, ebhyaha, gunamaiyaihai, idam, jagat, maam, mohitam, na, param, sarvam, tribhihi

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 7

tribhirgunamayairbhaavairebhihi sarvamidam jagat |
mohitam naabhijaanaati maamebhyaha paramavyayam || 13 ||
 
This entire universe, deluded by these three modes in the form of gunaas, does not know me to be beyond these (gunaas) and imperishable.
 
tribhihi : three
gunamaiyaihai : in the form of gunaas
bhaavaihi : modes
ebhihi : these
sarvam : entire
idam : this
jagat : universe
mohitam : deluded by
na : do not
abhijaanaati : know me
maam : me
ebhyaha : these (gunaas)
param : beyond
avyayam : imperishable
 
So far in this chapter, Shri Krishna indicated that Ishvara is the ultimate cause, that he pervades everything, the entire universe is a play of the three gunaas, and that he supports all the three gunaas but they do not impact him. In theory, if we know this, then we should be a hundred percent clear about the true nature of Ishvara, which is the objective of this chapter. But there is still more to come. Why is that? It is because there is something in these three gunaas or aspects of nature that prevents us from accessing Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna says that most people are deluded or confused about the true nature of Ishvara due to the overpowering effect of the three gunaas. This overpowering effect is our tendency to get carried away by name and form. It is our tendency to judge a book by its cover. We are so dazzled by the diversity of various forms of gold jewellery (the effect) that we fail to recognize that everything is ultimately gold (the cause).
 
Each gunaa or mode of nature has the ability to overpower us. Imagine a vendor at a vegetable market that has to haggle with his customers in order to turn a profit. A taamasic vendor can resort to any tactic including fraud to dupe unsuspecting customers, and potentially get caught doing so. A raajasic vendor can use fair, but aggressive negotiating tactics with even the shrewdest of his customers, eventually shrinking his customer base to zero. Now, we typically think that a saatvic vendor would follow the correct strategy, but this is not the case. Even saatva can overpower the vendor if he always gives in to the customer’s negotiations and goes into a loss.
 
Now, let us see what exactly happened with each of the vendors. The taamasic vendor could only see the most tangible thing in front of him – the crisp note that he can keep in his pocket as soon as the sale is made. He did not have the ability to think one step beyond the note, that he would get caught for fraud.
 
The raajasic vendor thought one step ahead and knew that he should not resort to anything illegal. But by always focusing on his personal gain, he missed the big picture in that he would eventually lose all his customers.
 
The saatvic vendor understood the big picture to some extent. But he forgot that he had to support a family at home, and therefore had to strike the right balance of maximizing his profit and making the customer happy.
 
So what does all this have to do with Ishvara? All three vendors were deluded or overpowered by gunaas. This is because our mind and senses is made up of the very “stuff” of the gunaas, as we saw in a previous shloka in chapter 3. They run after prakriti or nature which is also made up of the gunaas. We are helpless because our senses and our mind is wired to focus on names and forms, and not the underlying essence or cause. We get so carried away by names and forms that we cannot comprehend that Ishvara who is beyond any name and form, any attribute or modification.
 
So then, how do we develop this ability to pierce through the three gunaas and understand the real nature of Ishvara? Shri Krishna tackles this topic next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 7

03 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.7, anyat, asti, chapter 7 verse 7, dhananjaya, idam, iva, kinchit, maniganaaha, mataha, mayi, na, parataram, protam, sarvam, sootre

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 7

mataha parataram naanyatkinchidasti dhananjaya |
mayi sarvamidam protam sootre maniganaa iva || 7 ||
 
Beyond me there is none other, not even a little. Like beads are pervaded by string, all this is in me.
 
mataha : my
parataram : beyond
na : no
anyat : none other
kinchit : even a little
asti : is
dhananjaya : O Dhananjaya
mayi : in me
sarvam : all
idam : this
protam : pervaded
sootre : on a string
maniganaaha : beads
iva : like
 
In this chapter, Shri Krishna urges us to see Ishvara as the ultimate cause of everything in this universe. To illustrate this point, he poetically portrayed Ishvara as the womb or the seed of everything, enabling us to develop the vision by which we can see Ishvara in everything. In this shloka, he makes us leap to a whole new level of vision by which we can not just see Ishvara in everything, but see everything in Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna addresses Arjuna as the dhananjaya, the conquerer of wealth, and makes a bold statement. He says that other than Ishvara, there is nothing in this universe. This means Ishvara alone exists in the universe. Other than him, there is nothing else. Through a process that will be taken up in the next topic, we see this universe of names and forms instead of Ishvara.
 
The shloka provides a necklace as an illustration. This necklace comprises a string and a series of knots in the string, which appear as beads. So, if we were to view this necklace, we would register it as a string and beads. But our intellect would tell us that it is nothing but the string with some modifications in the form of beads.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara pervades the entire universe just like this string pervades the entire necklace. When we apply our intellect, the necklace and the beads disappear, as it were, and only the string remains. Each bead contains the string, but the string contains all the beads. In other words, the string is all-pervading. With the knowledge that Shri Krishna imparts in this chapter, we should strive for piercing through the world of names and forms and only seeing Ishvara.
 
Is there a practical advantage to viewing the world in this manner? If we can begin to develop this vision, then all our so-called problems with objects, people and situations will disappear, because we will realize that the ultimate cause of everything is Ishvara. If everything is Ishvara, there is no concept of any duality, including joy or sorrow. It is all Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna understands that such a vision is hard to develop. Our vision is used to seeing the tangible and not the intangible. So in order to help us in this path, he gives us some pointers that will help us see his glories or vibhootis.