Word meanings
- yathā
- as
- ākāśa-sthitaḥ
- rests in the sky
- nityam
- always
- vāyuḥ
- the wind
- sarvatra-gaḥ
- blowing everywhere
- mahān
- mighty
- tathā
- likewise
- sarvāṇi bhūtāni
- all living beings
- mat-sthāni
- rest in me
- iti
- thus
- upadhāraya
- know
Translations
As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in the ether, so too, know that all beings rest in Me.
As the mighty wind, though moving everywhere, has no resting place except in space, so all these beings have no home except in Me.
Understand thus that just as the voluminous wind, moving everywhere, is ever present in space, similarly all beings abide in Me.
जैसे सब जगह विचरनेवाली महान् वायु नित्य ही आकाशमें स्थित रहती है, ऐसे ही सम्पूर्ण प्राणी मुझमें ही स्थित रहते हैं -- ऐसा तुम मान लो।Commentary
The Lord gives a beautiful illustration or simile in this verse to explain what He has said in the previous two verses. Just as the wind ever rests in the ether (space) without any contact or attachment, so also all beings and objects rest in Brahman without any attachment or contact at all. These objects cannot produce any effect on It. What sort of relationship is there between Brahman and the objects of this universe Is it Samyoga? Samavaya or Tadatmya Sambandha The relationship of the stick with the drum is Samyaoga Sambandha.
Let us assume that there is such a Sambandha (relationship or connection). There cannot be connection between all the parts because Brahman is infinite and the elements are finite. You may say that there is connection of the Ekadesa type. This is also not possible, because there can be such relationship only between objects which possess members or parts like the tree and monkey. (Ekadesa is partial). Brahman has no parts. If you say that there is Samavaya Sambandha between Brahman and the objects or the elements, this is also not possible.
The relationship between the attribute and the possessors of that attribute is called Samavaya Sambandha. The relationship between an individual Brahmin and the whole Brahmin caste is also Samavaya Sambandha. The relationship between hand and man, between the leg and the man is also Samavaya Sambandha. Such relationship does not exist between Brahman and the objects or the elements. The third kind of relationship, viz.? Tadatmya Sambandha is seen to exist between milk and water, fire and the iron ball.
Milk shares its alities of sweetness and whiteness with water. Fire shares its alities of brilliance, heat and redness with the hot iron ball. This too is not possible between Brahman and the objects or the elements, because Brahman is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute and allfull and perfect whereas the elements are insentient, finite and painful. How can they with ite contrary alities have Tadatmya Sambandha with Brahman. Therefore it can be admitted that the elemtns have only got Kalpita Sambandha (superimposition) with Brahman.
That object which is superimposed on the substratum or support exists in name only. It does not exist in reality. Brahman is the support or the substratum for this world of names and forms. World here includes all beings and their three kinds of bodies (physical, mental and causal). Therefore, the elements or the beings in this world are not really rooted in Brahman. They do not really dwell in Brahman. It is all in name only. Vayu also means Sutratman or Hiranyagarbha. Bhuta also means the individual consciousness.
Just as the ether in the pot is not distinct from the universal ether before the origin and after the destruction of the pot and even when the pot exists, and it is of the nature of the universal soul is of the nature of Brahman during the three periods of time, past, present and future. Just as all efects exist in a state of nondifference in their material cause before they appear, during their period of existence and after their destruction, so also the individual souls are not different from Brahman before the origin of the various limiting adjuncts like mind, intellect, etc.?, during the period of their existence and after their destruction.