Gita 13.17
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् | भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ||१७||
avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam | bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca ||17||
In essence: Though Brahman is undivided, it appears divided among beings; it is the sustainer, creator, and dissolver of all—the One appearing as many.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Guru ji, if Brahman is undivided, why does it appear divided? Who creates this illusion?"
Guru: "Maya—the creative power of Brahman itself. But don't think of Maya as something separate. It's like asking, 'Who creates the dream?' The dreamer. Maya is Brahman's own creative potency, not an external force."
Sadhak: "But why would Brahman create the illusion of separation?"
Guru: "Why does a child play? Why does an artist create? Not from necessity but from fullness. Brahman is not deficient without the world. Creation is divine play—lila. The question 'why?' assumes lack; Brahman lacks nothing."
Sadhak: "It's also the devourer? That sounds frightening."
Guru: "Only frightening if you identify with what gets devoured. But what gets devoured? Bodies, forms, appearances. The conscious essence doesn't get devoured—it's doing the devouring! Death is Brahman recycling forms, not destroying consciousness."
Sadhak: "So creation and destruction are the same Brahman?"
Guru: "Different phases of one breath. The universe exhales—creation. The universe inhales—dissolution. Brahman breathes universes in and out eternally. Getting attached to one phase is like trying to only exhale. Accept the whole breath."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Contemplate: 'The same consciousness that animates me animates all beings. We are not separate—only apparently divided.' Carry this recognition into interactions.
When encountering diversity—different people, situations, objects—look for the underlying unity. What do all experiences have in common? They all appear IN awareness.
Reflect on the day's creations and dissolutions—thoughts that arose and passed, moods that came and went. See Brahman as creator-sustainer-dissolver operating in your own experience.