परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः ।
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ।। ८.२० ।।
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् ।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ।। ८.२१ ।।
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।। ८.२२ ।।

paras-tasmāt-tu bhāvo’nyo’vyakto’vyaktāt-sanātanaḥ |
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati || 8.20 ||
avyakto’kṣara ity-uktas-tam-āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim |
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad-dhāma paramaṁ mama || 8.21 ||
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas-tv-ananyayā |
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam-idaṁ tatam || 8.22 ||

Manifestation and un-manifestation – power of the Supreme

Krishna describes this inner supreme Reality as transcending the indistinct and distinct existences. That it is above the distinct manifestations can be grasped. But that it is equally above the indistinct existence like space will become comprehensible only when the seeker reflects upon susupti (sleep state), his own personal, direct experience. Sleep state is by all means fully indistinct.

As one can say he is awake, likewise he also says he has slept. The indistinct, nothing-knowing state of susupti is, nevertheless, fully experiential. That means it makes itself readily felt and revealed, as does wakefulness.

Thus the inner source has the power to reveal manifestation as well as un-manifestation. It does so remaining within both. Such a source is naturally above the vyakta and avyakta, says Krishna :

Above the manifest and the unmanifest reigns the superior Unmanifest, that does not vanish while yet all the beings go on perishing.

Reaching which the yogins do not ever return to worldliness, that supreme, absolute abode is said to be the Imperishable and Indistinct.

That supreme Purusha, within whom resides all the creation and who permeates all this, is attainable by exclusive, unflinching devotion.

This inlying, unmanifest presence is the Imperishable, emphasizes Krishna. People generally look to the Imperishable as something far away and above them. But that is wrong. The Imperishable is closer to one than even his body, mind, intelligence and ego.

Though Krishna’s exposure undergoes a drastic change to bring in and emphasize the devotional focus and supremacy, it does not lose sight of the spirituo-philosophical truths and facts, which alone are the foundation for religio-devotional thoughts and pursuits. In the three verses, he makes reference to the Supreme in the third person as well as in the first person, thereby removing all kinds of conflict, as to whether the Imperishable Self and the supreme Lord are in any way different.

The concept of the Imperishable and making it the sole refuge for contemplation, dominates Bhagavad Gita throughout. In the earlier chapter, Krishna said with a note of identity that the supreme Reality is the source of evolution as well as dissolution of beings (7.6). Here he clarifies that it is the source of both waking and sleep states, experienced regularly by every one.

This is the supreme Source or Refuge. Once it is unveiled, perceived and realized as a vital experience and knowledge, it would bring an end to worldly miseries. In Krishna’s words, there will then be no coming back into the perishable plane of existence. Thus it is clear that the ultimate rest for the mind is its own inlying source, which originates and sustains the three mental states of waking, sleep and dream.

Although people go through these states, no one as a rule cares to think about their genesis. Familiarity with wakefulness and all that it displays, overtake their attention and care. The inner source, transcending the senses, mind and intelligence is the Supreme. All existence and expression reign within that alone. The visible external world has no external cause whatever. It completely rests upon the One Inner Source. Thus the whole externality is a sheer display of the inward Self.

This inmost presence permeates everything interior, as in dream, and exterior as in wakefulness. True to the spirit of Yoga, Krishna spares no effort to draw the seeker to his own inmostness.

Was he not alluding to the same sovereign truth earlier (3.42)? The senses, though seemingly small, he said, are superior to the objects, big and small, they perceive. The mind within is superior to the senses themselves. Superior to the mind is the intelligence. And what is still subtler and superior to the intelligence is the Supreme, he concluded! The same inmost presence he describes here as transcending the manifest and unmanifest alike.

The real sadhana, whether you call it religious or moral, ethical or philosophical, spiritual or yogic, is to turn to one’s own inside and reach the magnificence reigning beyond knowledge and ignorance, day and night, existence and non-existence.