Gita 9.4 - 9.5

BG 9.4-9.5 --> All this universe is pervaded by Me in my unmanifest form. All beings abide in Me, but I do not abide in them. Nor does the whole creation vest in Me, look at my divine Yoga (power). Being the creator and sustainer of beings, I, do not in reality, dwell in them.

Here is explanation of BG 9.4 - 9.5:

"maya tatamidam ... ayaktamurtina" - The Lord's manifest form (Sakara) is that which is perceived by mind, intellect and senses and His unmanifest form (Nirakara) is that, which is not known by mind, intellect and senses.  Here, the Lord by the term "maya (by Me)", has explained His manifest form, while by "avayktamurtina", His unmanifest form. It means that He exists, in both the forms. The Lord, here wants to express the forms in entirety. The difference in His forms, is according to the sects and creeds. In fact, He is the same, though He is called by different names and attributes.

In the Gita, wherever there is description of the real and the unreal, for the real (soul) it is mentioned "By which all this is pervaded" (BG 2.17) because, being a portion of the Lord, like Him, pervades everything. Where, there is description of worship, of the Lord endowed with attributes and formless, there it is mentioned as "By whom all is pervaded" (BG 18.22). Where, there is description of worship, of the Lord through performance of duty, there also, it is mentioned, "By whom all this is pervaded" (BG 18.46). For making synchronous adjustment with these statements, He declared, "All this universe is pervaded by Me".

"matsthani sarvabhutani" - All beings abide in Me i.e. all this universe in the form of higher and lower nature, abide in Me because all emanate, from Me, abide in Me, and also merge in Me.

"na caham tesvavasthitah" - Now, the Lord, makes a contradictory statement, by saying that, He does not abide in them. The reason is, that if He had abode in them, with their decay and death, He would also have decayed and died. But this is not so, because the worldly bodies and things are kaleidoscopic and perishable, while in Him, there is not even the slightest modification. He remains detached, from them, established, in His own Self. When He declares, that He abides in them, He means that they seem to exist, because of His existence.

"Na ca matshani bhutani" - He again declares, that the beings do not dwell, in Him. The reason is that if the beings had dwelt in Him, like Him they would not have undergone any change in them, and they would not have perished. It proves that they do not dwell in Him.

Now, the contradictory statements are further explained, by means of an illustration. The Lord, abides in the world and the world abides in the Lord; the Lord does not abide in the word and the world does not abide in the Lord. Waves, are in the wafer and water is in the waves, but waves have no existence of their own, beside water. Similarly, the world has no existence of its own, beside the Lord because like waves, the world (beings) emanates, from the Lord, dwells in Him and merges in Him. Thus, the Lord abides in the world, and the world abides in the Lord.

But if we do not accept the independent existence of waves, because they have no existence, besides water, there is neither water in the waves, nor waves in water, there remains only water, which appears as waves. Similarly, neither God abides in the world, nor does the world abide in God; the world has no existence of its own, besides the Lord. "All this is God" (BG 7.19).

All the earthenware vessels, are of nothing, besides clay. So, there is clay in these and they are in the clay. But actually, it is not so. If there had been clay in earthenware vessels, with the destruction of the earthenware vessels, clay would have been destroyed. But it is not so. Similarly, if earthenware vessels, had been in clay, they would remain safe forever, like clay. But it is not so. This means that earthenware vessels are not in clay. In the same way,  neither God dwells in the world, nor does the world dwell in God. If God dwelt in the world, He would die with the death of the world. But He does not die. It means that He does not dwell in the world. He is established in the own self. Similarly if the world dwelt in God, the world would continue to exist with the existence of God, But as the world perishes, so the world does not dwell in God.

When a person, from a distance thinks of Ganges, and its bank Haridwara, he forms a image of the scene of devotees bathing etc., but actually these do not exist there. Similarly, the world, is a manifestation of the Lord's pursuit of mind. But when He renounces this pursuit of mind, there is no world, there is only God.

Thus, if we accept existence of the world, God dwells in the world and the world dwell in the God. But if we realize the reality, there is neither God in the world or world in the God, there is only God. This is the view of liberated souls and perfect devotees.

From Sadhak Sanjivini by Swami Ramsukh Das