The Visible and Invisible
I pervade the entire universe in My unmanifest form. All beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them.
Krishna describes the paradox of divine immanence and transcendence. The Divine pervades everything yet remains distinct; all exists in God, yet God is not limited to creation. This teaching avoids both pantheism (God equals creation) and deism (God separate from creation). The relationship is more subtle—like space containing all objects while remaining unaffected by them. Understanding this transforms our perception of reality.
By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
Ramanuja calls this vishishtadvaita—qualified non-duality. The world is real and contained in God, yet God infinitely exceeds it.
Bhagavad Gita