(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Prakriti Is Subservient To Ishvara And He Is The One Who Supervises

मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृति: सूयते सचराचरम् |
हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते || 9.10||

mayādhyakṣheṇa prakṛitiḥ sūyate sa-charācharam
hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate|| 9.10||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 9- Ver. 10:

This material energy, working under My supervision, creates all animate and inanimate forms, O son of Kunti. As a result, the material world undergoes transformations (of creation, maintenance, and dissolution).

Explanation

God does not directly participate in the process of producing life forms, as stated in the previous verse. His numerous energies and spirits entrusted with the task do so under His command. The first-born Brahma, like the material energy, is responsible for the creation and manifestation of life forms. God is also referred to as the Creator because they operate under His authority.

Although the Supreme Lord is the supreme will and the background of this material manifestation, material nature manages it. The Supreme Lord is obviously active because He watches over material nature, yet He has no direct involvement in the manifestation of the material universe.

He has nothing to do with the physical world, but He creates and ordains through His gaze. In conclusion, material nature cannot achieve anything without the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Despite this, the Supreme Personality is unaffected by any material actions.

Verse & what we can learn

Ishvara is the supervisor, and Ishvara does not have to physically “do” anything in order to create, sustain, and disintegrate the universe. Prakriti cannot function without Ishvara’s presence; without him, Prakriti remains immobile and incapable of doing anything.

Prakriti is the one who runs the show, so the divine keeps his distance. We can only genuinely be liberated from the cycle of creation and destruction by dissociating from the notions of “I am the doer” and “I gain the consequence.” We will never be liberated if we allow Prakriti to govern us, if we let our lower nature to lead us towards sense pleasure. Through our higher self, we should reassert control over our lower selves.

With this shloka, the divine teaches us how to deal with life’s ups and downs. When we find ourselves in a sad or hurtful situation, all we have to do is remember that we brought it on ourselves and it is yet another name and form that Prakriti has created.

When we recognize anything as a name and shape, we immediately recognize it as Prakriti. This will allow us to see through Prakriti’s pranks and determine that Ishvara, the supervisor, is the mastermind behind it all. This is how we should cultivate our perspective towards the material world. We need to look for Ishvara behind everything.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the next verse Shri Krishna tells Arjuna more about this topic.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…