Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7, Verse 6

एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय |
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगत: प्रभव: प्रलयस्तथा || 6||

etad-yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya
ahaṁ kṛitsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā

etat yonīni—these two (energies) are the source of; bhūtāni—living beings; sarvāṇi—all; iti—that; upadhāraya—know; aham—I; kṛitsnasya—entire; jagataḥ—creation; prabhavaḥ—the source; pralayaḥ—dissolution; tathā—and

Translation

BG 7.6: Know that all living beings are manifested by these two energies of Mine. I am the source of the entire creation, and into Me it again dissolves.

Commentary

Living beings are a manifestation of God’s two energies, jīva śhakti, the sentient soul energy, and Maya, the insentient material energy or matter. In the material realm, all life is a combination of both matter and soul. Matter by itself is insentient or lifeless, and the sentient soul needs a carrier body. Hence, both come together to form a living being.

Similarly, the entire creation is a manifestation of God’s energies. One cycle of creation lasts for 100 years of Brahma. Then the Supreme Lord starts the process of dissolution. The five gross elements merge into five subtle elements, which in turn merge into ahankār. Ahankār goes back into mahān, which again unites with prakṛiti. Prakṛiti now resides inside the body of Maha Vishnu (another form of the Supreme Lord). All the materially bound souls, which could not get liberated during this cycle of creation, also reside in God’s body. They remain unmanifested, waiting for the next cycle of creation.

When God decides to create, the entire cycle begins all over again (as explained in verse 7.4), and a new world comes into existence. Therefore, God is the source, the sustainer, and the resting place for the entire creation.

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