Shloka
न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् |
भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः ||९-५||Transliteration
na ca matsthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogamaiśvaram .
bhūtabhṛnna ca bhūtastho mamātmā bhūtabhāvanaḥ ||9-5||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
9.5. Yet, the beings do not exist in Me. Look at the Sovereign Yoga of Mine. My Self is the sustainer of the beings, does not exist in beings, and cuases beings to be born.
Shri Purohit Swami
9.5 Nevertheless, they do not consciously abide in Me. Such is My Divine Sovereignty that though I, the Supreme Self, am the cause and upholder of all, yet I remain outside.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
9.5 Na ca etc. Yet, the beings do not exist in Me : For, the persons, who are blind with nescience, do not see the reality. The ignorant do not consider the Absolute Lord - Who is of the nature of infinite Consciousness - as a basis of determinate knowledge of all objects. On the other hand conceiving [like] ‘I, the lean Devadatta, know this, as existing here on the floor’, they view [things of] finite nature aone as the basis [of determination].
But why this contradiction ? On this doubt [the Lord] says Look at the Sovereign Yoga of Mine. Yoga signifies the Power [of the Absolute], because it is being employed. This is indeed My Sovereignty, which is the Freedom of behaving in this manner in a highly strange way. This is the idea (here).
Sri Ramanuja
9.5 And yet ‘beings do not abide in Me,’ as I do not support them as a jug or any kind of vessel supports the water contained in them. How then are they contained? By My will. Behold My divine Yoga power, namely, My wonderful divine modes, unie to Me alone and having no comparison elsewhere. What are these modes? ‘I am the upholder of all beings and yet I am not in them - My will sustains all beings.’ The meaning is I am the supporter of all beings, and yet I derive no help for Myself whatever from them. My will alone projects, sustains and controls all beings.
He gives an illustration to show how all beings depend on His will for their being and acts:
Sri Shankaracharya
9.5 Na ca bhutani, nor do the beings, beginning from Brahma; matsthani, dwell in Me. Pasya, behold; me, My; aisvaram, divine; yogam, Yoga, action, performance, i.e. this real nature of Myself. The Upanisadic text, too, similarly shows the absence of association (of the Self) due to Its being free from contact: ‘৷৷.unattached, for It is never attached’ (Br. 3.9.26). Behold this other wonder: I am the bhuta-bhrt, sustainer of beings, though I am unattached. Ca, but; mama atma, My Self; na bhutasthah, is not contained in the bengs. As it has been explained according to the logic stated above, there is no possibility of Its remaining contained in beings. How, again, is it said, ‘It is My Self? Following human understanding, having separated the aggregate of body etc. (from the Self) and superimposing eoism of them, the Lord calls It ‘My Self’. But not that He has said so by ignorantly thinking like ordinary mortals that the Self is different from Himself. So also, I am the bhuta-bhavanah, originator of beings, one who gives birth to or nourishes the beings. By way of establishing with the help of an illustration the subject-matter [Subject-matter-that the Self, which has no contact with anything, is the substratum of creation, continuance and dissolution.] dealt with in the aforesaid two verses, the Lord says:
Swami Adidevananda
9.5 And yet beings do not abide in Me. Behold My divine Yoga. I am the upholder of all beings and yet I am not in them. My will alone causes their existence.
Swami Gambirananda
9.5 Nor do the beings dwell in Me. Behod My divine Yoga! I am the sustainer and originator of beings, but My Self is not contained in the beings.
Swami Sivananda
9.5 Nor do beings exist in Me (in reality); behold My divine Yoga, supporting all beings, but not dwelling in them, is My Self, the efficient cause of beings.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
9.5 न not? च and? मत्स्थानि dwelling in Me? भूतानि beings? पश्य behold? मे My? योगम् Yoga? ऐश्वरम् Divine? भूतभृत् supporting the beings? न not? च and? भूतस्थः dwelling in the beings? मम My? आत्मा Self? भूतभावनः bringing forth beings.Commentary Brahman or the Self no connection with any object as It is very subtle and attributes and formless and so It is unattached (Asanga). There cannot be any real connection between matter and Spirit. Saakara (an object with form) can have no connection with Nirakara (the formless). How could this be Devoid of attachment It is never attached. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad? III.9.26) Though unattached? It supports all beings It is the efficient or instrumental cause It brings forth all beings but It does not dwell in them? because It is unconnected with any object. This is a great mystery. Just as the dreamer has no connection with the dream object? just as ether or air has no connection with the vessel? so also Brahman has no connection with the objects or the body. The connection between the Self and the physical body is illusory.The Adhishthana or support (Brahman) for the illusory object (Kalpitam) superimposed on,Brahman has no connection whatsoever with the alities or the defects of the objects that are superimposed on the Absolute. The snake is superimposed on a rope. The rope is the support (Adhishthana) for the illusory snake (Kalpitam). This is an example of superimposition or Adhyasa. (Cf.VII.25X.7.XI.8)