Commentary

Commentary

This verse deepens the paradox introduced in verse 4. There, Krishna said all beings rest in Him. Here, He says they do not rest in Him. This apparent contradiction is resolved by understanding the nature of divine opulence — yoga-aishvaryam.

The Inconceivable Nature of the Supreme

Krishna’s relationship with creation transcends ordinary logic. He tells Arjuna: “Just see My mystic opulence!” Although He is the maintainer and source of all beings, and although all things depend on His energy, He Himself stands apart. His mind and His creation are not the same thing, unlike us whose minds and actions are separate from each other. Because He is the Supreme Soul, every object in existence depends on Him, yet He relates to each as distinct.

The Vedic literature confirms this: He performs His astonishing deeds though they appear impossible — His personality is full of diverse potencies, and His will alone is the operative truth. When He wishes something done, it is accomplished perfectly. When we wish things, we often face obstacles. But when Krishna acts, everything unfolds with absolute completeness.

Bhoota-Bhrit yet Not Bhoota-Stha

Krishna is bhoota-bhrit — the sustainer of all beings. Yet He is not bhoota-stha — not situated within the cosmic manifestation in the way a fish is situated in water. He sustains creation through His energies, through His glance upon material nature, yet He remains in His own transcendent abode. This is His yoga-aishvaryam — His inconceivable mystic opulence that allows Him to be simultaneously the foundation of everything and completely independent of everything.

Bhoota-Bhaavanah — The Source

The verse concludes with bhoota-bhaavanah — He is the source, the origin, the cause of all manifestations. Not merely the maintainer, but the very ground from which existence springs. This completes the picture: He creates, He maintains, and He remains forever beyond.