Gita 13.32
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga
यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान् | तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय ||३२||
yathākāśa-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān | tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānīty upadhāraya ||32||
In essence: As the mighty wind moves everywhere yet rests in space, so all beings rest in the Supreme Self.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "If all beings rest in the Supreme, why do we experience separation?"
Guru: "The wind doesn't know it's in space—it's too busy moving. Similarly, beings don't know they're in the Self—they're too busy becoming. The experience of separation is the experience of movement mistaken for essence. The wind might think: 'I am this gust, distinct from that breeze.' But it's all wind, all in space. Wake up from the identity of the gust, and you recognize the space."
Sadhak: "Does 'mat-sthāni' mean we are literally in Krishna's body?"
Guru: "Krishna speaks as the Supreme Self, not as the form of Krishna. 'In Me' means in consciousness itself—the ground of all being. When Krishna says 'mat-sthāni,' He speaks from the cosmic 'I,' the Self of all. You are in that Self as naturally and inevitably as wind is in space. The body of Krishna is one form; the Self of Krishna is the universe."
Sadhak: "Why does the verse say to 'understand' (upadhāraya) this? Isn't it obvious?"
Guru: "It's not obvious at all—it's the most hidden truth. Everyone lives as if they were separate, independent beings. The verse asks us to understand something contradicting everyday experience: you are not self-standing; you are Self-resting. This understanding must be deliberately cultivated. Left to its own devices, the mind will never 'see' space—only wind. Upadhāraya means: look deeper, understand truly, not superficially."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Space awareness: Before rising, feel the space in your room—not objects, but the space holding objects. Now feel the 'inner space'—the awareness holding thoughts and sensations. Recognize: you are this space, and all your experiences are wind within it. Start the day from space, not from wind.
Wind watching: When caught in the 'wind' of the day—busy thoughts, emotional gusts, rushing activity—pause and remember: the wind is in space. Whatever you're experiencing is happening within the vast space of awareness. You don't have to stop the wind; just recognize its ground. This recognition brings instant calm.
Mat-sthāni reflection: Before sleep, contemplate: 'Today's events, thoughts, and feelings were all resting in the Self. Even the forgetting of the Self was in the Self.' Let everything from the day settle into its ground. Sleep as space, not as wind.