Aim

To understand how the vast material creation rests in Krishna by His supreme will, through the wind-and-sky analogy, and to recognize Krishna’s transcendental aloofness despite pervading and controlling all cosmic activities.

Purport

For the ordinary person it is almost inconceivable how the huge material creation is resting in Him. But the Lord is giving an example which may help us to understand. The sky may be the biggest manifestation we can conceive. And in that sky the wind or air is the biggest manifestation in the cosmic world. The movement of the air influences the movements of everything. But although the wind is great, it is still situated within the sky; the wind is not beyond the sky. Similarly, all the wonderful cosmic manifestations are existing by the supreme will of God, and all of them are subordinate to that supreme will. As we generally say, not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus everything is moving under His will: by His will everything is being created, everything is being maintained, and everything is being annihilated. Still He is aloof from everything, as the sky is always aloof from the activities of the wind.

In the Upaniṣads it is stated, yad-bhīṣā vātaḥ pavate: “It is out of the fear of the Supreme Lord that the wind is blowing.” (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.8.1) In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.9) it is stated, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi sūrya-candramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhata etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāv-āpṛthivyau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ. “By the supreme order, under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the moon, the sun, and the other great planets are moving.” In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) also it is stated,

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ
rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

This is a description of the movement of the sun. It is said that the sun is considered to be one of the eyes of the Supreme Lord and that it has immense potency to diffuse heat and light. Still it is moving in its prescribed orbit by the order and the supreme will of Govinda. So, from the Vedic literature we can find evidence that this material manifestation, which appears to us to be very wonderful and great, is under the complete control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This will be further explained in the later verses of this chapter.

Objectives

By the end of the lesson students should be able:

1. To recognize why the truth of creation resting in Krishna is inconceivable to the ordinary person.
2. To explain why Krishna provides the sky-and-wind example.
3. To state why the sky is taken as the largest conceivable manifestation.
4. To describe why the wind/air is taken as the largest cosmic manifestation within the sky.
5. To explain how the movement of air influences the movements of everything.
6. To show why the wind, though great, is still situated within the sky and not beyond it.
7. To map the sky-wind analogy to the relationship between Krishna and the cosmic manifestations (i.e., how manifestations exist by the supreme will and are subordinate).
8. To recall and explain the statement that “not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
9. To explain that creation, maintenance, and annihilation happen by Krishna’s will.
10. To explain Krishna’s aloofness (transcendence) in the analogy—how He remains unaffected though creation rests in Him.
11. To cite and explain the Taittirīya Upaniṣad line, yad-bhīṣā vātaḥ pavate, and its implication.
12. To cite and explain the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad reference about sun, moon, and planets moving under the supreme order.
13. To quote and explain the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) stanza given and its description of the sun as Govinda’s eye.
14. To conclude from these Vedic citations that the apparently wonderful material manifestation is nevertheless under Krishna’s complete control.
15. To note that further verses will expand and clarify these points.

Key points / Takeaway

• The cosmos may seem independently grand, but it rests within and functions by the will of the Supreme Lord.
• The sky-and-wind analogy: great activity (wind) is completely situated within a greater realm (sky)—helpful to grasp how creation exists in Krishna yet does not bind Him.
• Not even the smallest motion (“not a blade of grass”) occurs without the Supreme’s will; creation, maintenance, and destruction are all under His control.
• Vedic sources (Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Brahma-saṁhitā) corroborate that the sun, moon, planets, and wind move under the Supreme Personality’s order.
• Krishna remains transcendently aloof while being the immanent cause—this is a fundamental devotional insight to cultivate faith and reverence.
• Further verses will develop these themes in greater detail.