The Moksha Gita:5: 5,6,7 by Swami Sivananda - Commentary by Swami Krishnananda.

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Monday 23, February 2026, 06:30. 
Books
Bhagavad Gita & Hinduism
The Moksha Gita: by Swami Sivananda: Commentary: 5  Swami Krishnananda.
Chapter 5: The Nature of the Universe - 5,6,7.
Swami Krishnananda.

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5, 6. 

भावयन्त्यर्भका दारुद्विपं सत्यं हि यूथपम् ।

प्रौढास्तु तदसत्यत्वं जानते बालिशास्तथा ॥५॥

अनात्ममात्रमीक्षन्ते किन्तु पश्यन्ति पण्डिताः ।

केवलं ब्रह्म सर्वत्र विवेकोऽस्यायमाद्दतः ॥६॥

Children regard a wooden elephant, as an elephant, but the grown-up persons treat it as wood. Even so the wise behold only Brahman everywhere but the ignorant perceive the non-self only.

A wooden elephant is the imitation of the form of an elephant, though the essence of the form is only wood. Children in their credulity, with undeveloped consciousness see the form merely and not the essence or the substance which has taken a form. In fact, forms have no sane basis to be regarded as realities, for it is only the mode of the arrangement of the substance and the way of the individual's vision of it that certifies the existence of a particular form. A given number of straight lines which have no relation at all in truth with any object of the universe can be arranged in such a way as to present before us a picture of any desired object, by manipulation of their positions and forms. Mud has in itself no specified shape but the shaped forms derived from it are nothing more than mud. When the form is broken, the original clay only remains. When the wood is cut, the elephant vanishes. Therefore, those persons who are endowed with a broader vision of life perceive the wood in the elephant and do not run away from it in fear. The sages who see the Essence of Satchidananda in the manifold forms of the universe fear not from anything of the world, not even from the terror of death. It is only the individual with a constricted consciousness that is dreaded by the workings of the universal nature because of the absence of the knowledge of the substance of Brahman

These examples are to show the omnipresence and the matchlessness and secondlessness of Brahman and not to prove that Brahman can be moulded into forms just as wood, clay etc. Illustrations cannot be carried too far. The reality is that Brahman alone exists and the universe is not, except as a mere jugglery or the trick of Maya. Only the vision of a sage or a Jivanmukta can perceive this Supreme Truth which hails as the Light of lights, Sun of suns, and the Common Goal of all religions, faiths, philosophies and every form of true endeavour to achieve Immortality and undying Bliss.

7. 

तत्त्वं जानीहि यत्कृत्स्नं विश्वं ब्रह्मण्यवस्थितम् ।

मायया तद्वहिर्भाति वपुस्ते मुकुरे यथा ॥७॥

The whole universe is within Brahman. It appears as external to you, just as your body appears external to you in the mirror on account of Maya.

The whole universe is included in Brahman. The Purusha Sukta says that one-fourth of the Supreme Reality appears as the universe and that three-fourth of it is exalted beyond the earth as the glorious Immortal. Lord Sri Krishna, the personified essence of the Absolute says that the whole universe is sustained by a part of Himself and that he pervades the whole universe without any remainder. This does not mean that Brahman can be divided into parts, for it is Indivisible. What is meant is that the universal manifestation is only an insignificant factor in the vast expanse of the Truth of Brahman. Brahman cannot create a universe. Why? If Brahman has created a universe, then, where is the material for Brahman to fashion the creation? We have then to say that it is Brahman only that has become the universe. If it has become the world, then, is it a part of Brahman or the whole of Brahman that is changed? If it is a part of Brahman, we thereby assert that Brahman can be cut into parts. If it is the whole of Brahman that has become the universe, we again assert that there is no Reality beyond the universe. Hence creation becomes impossible and absolute non-duality alone remains.

The universe appears external to the self-due to the reflection of itself in the disturbed form of thinking, just as a second face is seen in a mirror. The power of thought stands for the mirror and the eternal Self for the face. The method of arrangement or the constitution of the objects of the universe is directly dependent on the way in which the Oneself has split up the constitution of the mode of its thinking. Hence, when thought is corrected, the whole universe also is corrected. When the cause is perfected, the effect also is perfected. The world is dissolved in oneself, the moment thought is withdrawn to its Source.

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Next
स्वप्नदृष्टं यथा वस्तु प्रबोधे नेक्षते नरः ।
जीवन्मुक्तस्तथा विश्वं ब्रह्मज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठिते ॥८॥

8. 

Just as a man does not behold the object which he has seen in his dream when awake, so also the Jivanmukta does not perceive the universe after he attains knowledge of Brahman.
Continues

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