He Is All-Pervasive

In the eighth to the twelfth verses, Krsna describes how He is manifested within everything. "I am the taste of water," He says, "the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable Om and the sound in ether. I am the strength of the strong, and I am sex life. I am the life of all that lives. All states of being, be they of goodness, passion or ignorance, are manifested by My energy. I am in one sense everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature." The Lord is thus explaining how He is all-pervasive by dint of His diverse energies, material and spiritual. As the demigod in the sun is a person and is perceived by his all-pervading energy, the sunshine, similarly the Lord, although in His eternal abode, is perceived by His all-pervading diffuse energies. Krsna consciousness means to become aware that earth, water, fire-the active principles in all chemicals, all material elements-are due to Krsna only. The duration of man's life is also due to Krsna. By the grace of Krsna man can prolong his life or diminish it. Krsna is the active principle in every sphere. The conclusion, as stated in the twelfth verse, is that all states of being, whether of goodness, passion or ignorance, are manifested by Krsna's energy. "I am in one sense everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature." Here the word nirguna is used. Nirguna means not to be under the control of material nature, or to be without material contamination. It is sometimes translated to mean without material form, but here Krsna asserts that He is manifesting this material nature yet He is independent. "They are in Me, but I am not in them." These gunas of goodness, passion and ignorance are emanating from Krsna, but they do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavan or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The thirteenth verse says, "Deluded by the three gunas, goodness, passion and ignorance, the whole world does not know Me, for I am above the gunas and am inexhaustible." Krsna is never deluded. As stated in the Second Chapter, He remembers everything past, present and future. That is again stated in the twenty-sixth verse of this chapter. "I know everything which has happened in the past, or that is happening in the present, or of all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities, but Me no one knows." Because Krsna is never deluded, He is never under the control of the deluding energy. The fourteenth verse says, "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome, but those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." As stated at the outset, Krsna consciousness is open to the surrendered soul, to the devotee and friend of Krsna, but for others it is very difficult.