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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Verse 4

भगवद् गीता अध्याय 9 श्लोक 4

मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना।
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः।।9.4।।

English Translation - Swami Gambirananda

9.4 This whole world is prevaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All beings exist in Me, but I am not contained in them!

English Translation - Swami Sivananda

9.4 All this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them.

English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

9.4. This entire universe is pervaded by Me, having the unmanifest form (aspect); all beings exist in Me and I do not exist in them.

English Commentary - Swami Sivananda

9.4 मया by Me? ततम् pervaded? इदम् this? सर्वम् all? जगत् world? अव्यक्तमूर्तिना by the unmanifested form? मत्स्थानि exist in Me? सर्वभूतानि all beings? न not? च and? अहम् I? तेषु in them? अवस्थितः placed.Commentary Avyaktamurti is Para Brahman or the Supreme Unmanifested Being invisible to the senses but cognisable through intuition. All beings from Brahma? the Creator? down to the blade of grass or an ant? dwell in the transcendental Para Brahman. They have no independent existence they exist through the Self which is the support for everythin? which underlies them all.Nothing here contains It. As Brahman is the Self of all beings? one may imagine that It dwells in them. But it is not so. How could it be How can the Infinite be contained in a finite object Brahman has no connection or contact with any material object? just as a chair or a table has contact with the ground or a man or a book. So It does not dwell in those beings. That which has no connection or contact with objects or beings cannot be contained anywhere as if in a vessel? trunk? room or receptacle. The Self is not rooted in all these forms. It is not contained by any of these forms just as the ether is not contained in any form though all forms are derived from the ether.All beings appear to be living in Brahman? but this is an illusion. If this illusion vanishes? nothing remains anywhere except Brahman. When ignorance? the cause of this illusion? disappears? the very idea of the existence of these beings also will vanish.In verses 4 and 5 the Lord uses a paradox or an apparent contradiction All beings dwell in Me and yet do not dwell in Me I do not dwell in them. For a thinker there is no real contradiction at all. Just as space contains all beings and yet is not touched by them? so also Para Brahman contains everything and yet is not touched by them. Even Mulaprakriti? the source or womb of this world? is supported by Brahman. Brahman has no support or root. It rests in Its own pristine glory. (Cf.VII.12?24VIII.22)

English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's

9.4 Idam, this; sarvam, whole; jagat, world; is tatam, pervaded; maya, by Me; through the supreme nature, that I have, avyakta-murtina, in My unmanifest form, in that form in which My nature is not manifest, i.e. in My form which is beyond the range of the organs. Sarva-bhutani, all beings, from Brahma to a clump of grass; matsthani, exist in Me, are established in Me in that unmanifest form. For, no created thing that is bereft of the Self (i.e. of Reality) can be conceived of as an object of practical use. Therefore, being possessed of their reality through Me who am their Self, they exist in Me. Hence they are said to be established in Me. I Myself am the Self of those created things. Conseently, it appears to people of little understanding that I dwell in them. Hence I say: Na ca aham, but I am not; avasthitah, contained; tesu, in them, in the created things. Since unlike gross objects I am not in contact with anything, therefore I am certainly the inmost core even of space. For, a thing that has no contact with anything cannot exist like something contained in a receptacle. For this very reason that I am not in contact with anyting-

English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

9.4 Maya etc. All beings exist in Me : Because no other abode of rest is available, even if one wanders [in search of it] for long. The beings (or elements) that form the objects of knowledge possess their well-known nature of insentiency. When these beings manifest with this nature foremost, their other innate nature viz., sentiency, that is opposed to this [former nature], remain hidden. This is what He says by I do not exist in them.

English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary

9.4 This entire universe, composed to sentient and non-sentient beings, is pervaded by Me, the inner controller, whose form is not manifest, namely, whose essential nature is unmanifest. The meaning is that all this is pervaded by Me, the Principal (Sesi), so that I may sustain and rule this universe. This, the pervasion of all by the inner controller, who is invisible to the entire group of sentient and non-sentient beings, is taught in the following passage of the Antaryami-brahmana: He who dwells in the earth ৷৷. whom the earth does not know (Br. U., 3.7.3) and He who dwells in the self ৷৷. whom the self does not know etc., (Br. U. Madh., 3.7.22). Therefore all beings abide in Me; all beings rest in Me who am their inner controller. In the same Brahmana it is taught that their existence and control are dependent on Him, as they are subject to His control and as they constitute His body: He whose body is the earth ৷৷. who controls the earth from within (Br. U., 3.7.3) and He whose body is the self ৷৷. He who controls the self from within (Br. U. Madh., 3.7.22). So also His primacy over everything is taught. I am not in them, namely, I do not depend on them for My existence. There is no help derived from them for My existence.

Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji

In seven verses, the Lord speaks of whatever knowledge of the powers of God is required by devotees who are in dasya bhakti. I pervade this whole universe with my form, since I am its cause, but am invisible to the senses (avyakta). Thus all the living entities moving and non-moving are situated in me (mat sthani), a form of pure consciousness, as I am their cause. But I am not situated in all these entities, as clay is present in its product, such as pots, because I am completely disinterested.

Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Thus after causing one to become inquisitive by so praising this supreme and confidential wisdom, Lord Krishna expounds upon it in this verse and the next. The words sarvam jagat mean the whole cosmic material manifestation. This He has revealed is permeated by Him in the unmanifest form of the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence which is beyond the ability of the senses to perceive. The Taittriya Upanisad II.VI states: That the Supreme Lord as the substratum of everything projects it into everything created. Therefore all beings moving or stationary abide within the Supreme Lord who embodies the cause of all beings. Although this is a reality still He is not part of any their effects unlike clay which effects can be seen as an ingredient in plates and pots. The Supreme Lord is unattached and unaffected like space containing unlimited variegated forms but is not affected by or attached to any of them.

Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Again in this verse Lord Krishna discourses on the unmanifest state of the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence.

Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

The complete cosmic creation constituted of variegated myriad of sentient and insentient beings is permeated by the Supreme Lord Krishna. The words avyakta-murttina mean His subtle form manifested as the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence. It is indiscernible by the material senses and is unable to be perceived by the mind. Although secretly hidden, He is manifested internally in the unrivalled presence of paramatma the purely spiritual supreme soul in everything sentient and insentient. So in spirit He pervades everywhere. Lord Krishna does this in relation to universal creation as the Supreme Sovereign Lord manifesting it and also by maintaining and sustaining it. As stated in the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad V.VII.III beginning ya prithivyam tishtham or He who abides in earth but whom earth knows not and He to whom in the interior of earth is sovereign ruler and in verse V.VII.XXII beginning ya atmani tishtham meaning He who resides in the soul but the soul knows not and He to whom the soul is the body who from the interior of the soul is sovereign ruler. Both verses confirm His supreme presence and pervasive nature in everything which is sentient as well as insentient; but totally unperceived. By reference to earth, body, soul establishes complete compliance to His sovereign rulership and establishes the dependence of all things upon Him as they derive their very existence from Him. Hence all existences and everything existing in all existences have their abode within the Supreme Lord.

Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

The complete cosmic creation constituted of variegated myriad of sentient and insentient beings is permeated by the Supreme Lord Krishna. The words avyakta-murttina mean His subtle form manifested as the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence. It is indiscernible by the material senses and is unable to be perceived by the mind. Although secretly hidden, He is manifested internally in the unrivalled presence of paramatma the purely spiritual supreme soul in everything sentient and insentient. So in spirit He pervades everywhere. Lord Krishna does this in relation to universal creation as the Supreme Sovereign Lord manifesting it and also by maintaining and sustaining it. As stated in the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad V.VII.III beginning ya prithivyam tishtham or He who abides in earth but whom earth knows not and He to whom in the interior of earth is sovereign ruler and in verse V.VII.XXII beginning ya atmani tishtham meaning He who resides in the soul but the soul knows not and He to whom the soul is the body who from the interior of the soul is sovereign ruler. Both verses confirm His supreme presence and pervasive nature in everything which is sentient as well as insentient; but totally unperceived. By reference to earth, body, soul establishes complete compliance to His sovereign rulership and establishes the dependence of all things upon Him as they derive their very existence from Him. Hence all existences and everything existing in all existences have their abode within the Supreme Lord.

Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 9.4

Mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa; Matsthaani sarvabhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitah.

Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 9.4

mayā—by Me; tatam—pervaded; idam—this; sarvam—entire; jagat—cosmic manifestation; avyakta-mūrtinā—the unmanifested form; mat-sthāni—in Me; sarva-bhūtāni—all living beings; na—not; cha—and; aham—I; teṣhu—in them; avasthitaḥ—dwell