अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् ।
भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ।। १३.१६ ।।

avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam-iva ca sthitam |
bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj-jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca || 13.16 ||

Indivisible and homogeneous aspect of Reality

The whole of this transition transpires in the mind and intelligence. So, to imbue immortality in Arjuna, what Krishna had to do was to enlighten him with the knowledge of the supreme Reality. And the Master Teacher excels in this:

Though indivisible, it appears divided in beings (with their individual ego-centre). It is to be known as the originator, preserver and dissolver of all.

As is space, so is the Supreme undivided (avibhaktam). Yet, it is felt as distinct, making each person think of himself as a separate individual (vibhaktam iva sthitam). This separateness of objects in general is what makes vyavahara (interaction) possible and relevant. The ego that every individual carries with him, enables the preservation of the body, mind and intelligence in a composite manner.

The indivisibility of the Supreme does not prevent one from having a personal identity, the ‘I’-sense. By the word ‘I’, all refer to the same Source, same Presence. This one Source is the sustaining force for the whole creation (bhuta-bhartr). It equally destroys everything (grasishnu), momentarily and also periodically, in shorter and longer cycles, en masse as well as in the end. Needless to say, it is the Creator (prabhavishnu) too.

Creation, sustenance & destruction – three-fold power of Brahman

How to know that Brahman has the three-fold power of creation, sustenance and destruction? It is vast, inaccessible, and imperceptible. Can one yet say that its powers are all-fold, so far as phenomenal existence is concerned?

Yes. Of the three inner states we have, the dream-state is both specific and conclusive in pointing out this great fact. On entering into sleep-state, one loses all object-connections, including those of his gross body. The mind and ego are also lost. Right then springs the dream-state – a sudden emergence of objects, space and time and the consequent interactions as in wakeful state.

How and from where do all these issue forth? Who or what sustains them? And then quite instantly where does the whole display dissolve, disappear? Dream world being quite parallel to the wakeful world, its Creator, Sustainer and Dissolver must be alike in status and power. Thus Brahman’s all-fold powers stand directly proved.

Here a question may be raised: Is not dream merely an instance, which can at best serve as an example for the purpose? Can we take it as proving any proposition conclusively?

The answer is an unconditional ‘yes’. All kinds of knowledge and conclusion, in any field whatsoever, are based upon observation and inference. In science too the constant effort is to experiment and research into matters. First comes our direct perception and then follow analysis and inference.

Our senses alone are the instruments for observing external facts and phenomena directly. The world around us is endless, infinite. For anyone born into this world any time, it would remain an already existing fact, phenomenon. There will not obviously be anyone who could have been present during the emergence of the world to see the process as well as its source. Naturally, the origin of the world, its source, will ever remain imperceptible to humanity of all times.

The same is the truth about the world’s dissolution too. None can hope to witness the process. Thus both the evolution and dissolution of the universe are indisputably beyond our direct experience. What other means is there then to access this area judiciously and satisfy our quest?

Besides direct experience (pratyaksha), inference alone is available. But, for making inferences there must first be some directly perceived data. Only then, we can relate matters and arrive at conclusions. It is in such a delicate but inevitable premise that the dream creation and dissolution come up with forceful indisputable evidence.

In the object universe, infinite and various in every way, we cannot think of another object as the cause. For, that cause too would then stand included in the universe. Think well. If no object cause can be there, what are we left with any time? The only course will be for a non-object to act as the cause. Besides objects we can only think of the Subject. So, only the Subject can be the cause. The question is whether there is anything like the Subject, which possibly can help and fulfill our quest? Where does such a Subject reign? Can it be sufficiently felt, experienced and proved?

Our whole life is a constant subject-object interaction. In this the position of the endless world is but that of object. The question then arises instantly: To what, which or whom is the world an object? Evidently it is to the one who perceives and interacts with it.

Everything in the world including our body is objective. The core of our being is the one Subject. This Subject reigns clearly within. Being different from the body, it is supra-material in nature. It transcends the body and its materiality. That is the one to bestow the identity ‘I’ to every one. All thoughts, feelings, emotions proceed from it. Sleep, dream and wakefulness are its expressions. One wakes up to the world, the world does not wake up anyone.

Dream is an instance wherein this one Subject suddenly reveals its supreme potential and brings about a full world and begins to interact with it. All the interactional consequences characteristic of the wakeful world also prevail there. And the subject also dissolves the entire display into itself.

Now, think well. Can the Source of the world be more than one? The Supreme has no parallel. That is how it is called non-dual. The Subject in us exhibits the powers we are searching for, namely creation, preservation and dissolution. Naturally the dream-cause, its source, must as well be the wakeful world-source also. Source being only one, once it is traced anywhere, it will equally be the source for all.

Other than dream, do we and can we ever have any premise for making our search and inference? This dream phenomenon does not stand as a mere example, but it reigns as the only available ground for conducting our search into the Supreme reality, the Source of creation.

This conclusion rests upon the same observation and inference, upon which is built the entire material science itself. To grasp the truth and carry it with conviction is indeed rare.

Do we go inward to the “I” from the object world? Or do we come to the object world from the “I”? The question is fundamental.