9.7 - Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 9, Verse 7

In Bhagavad Gita 9.7, Krishna reveals a profound facet of His relationship with the universe. He describes how, at the close of each cosmic cycle—referred to as a kalpa, corresponding to a day of Brahma—all living beings and material elements dissolve and merge into His own divine nature. The universe, with its complexity and diversity, is ultimately absorbed back into its source at the time of great dissolution, only to be recreated when the next cycle begins.

Krishna’s description likens the cycles of creation and dissolution to cosmic breaths—each ‘exhalation’ bringing forth a new manifestation, and each ‘inhalation’ drawing everything back to its origin. At the end of a kalpa, which spans the lifetime of Brahma (a vast era in cosmic terms), everything that exists—the five great elements, all beings—returns to Krishna’s material energy, or prakriti. With the onset of a new kalpa, He wills creation to resume, and from His energy, all things emerge again, distinct and renewed.

This process is not a one-off event but a continual cycle—every creation ultimately faces destruction, only to be recreated once more. Verse 9.7 underlines that Krishna is not merely a distant observer but the very cause and sustainer of these cycles. Yet, while He instigates both the merging and re-emergence of all beings, He transcends the changes of the universe; all transformations play out within His unchanging, imperishable self.

A vivid analogy helps clarify Krishna’s role: imagine a painter continually creating and erasing masterpieces on a canvas. The canvas remains constant and unaffected, no matter how often the painting is changed. Similarly, Krishna’s nature is like the canvas—steadfast and untouched—while the material world is the shifting artwork, coming into being and dissolving back again and again. The painter, or Krishna, remains untouched by the fate of each particular artwork, unaffected by the repetitive creation and dissolution.

Krishna further emphasizes that the workings of prakriti, or material nature, happen according to His will. The mighty transformations of the cosmos—birth, existence, destruction, and rebirth—are conducted under His supervision, orchestrated by His desire but not binding Him in any way. Like an expert director, He orchestrates the grand play of the universe but remains uninvolved in the drama’s emotions and struggles. This also underscores the presence of supreme intelligence behind the apparent chaos or order of the natural world—not a random process, but one overseen by divine will.

This teaching quietly delivers a powerful message about the ephemeral nature of the world we experience. What seems permanent—the earth, the heavens, the multitude of living beings—is in fact subject to periodic dissolution, only to be recreated again. All things that rise also fall, and all things that disappear will one day reappear, following the rhythmic flow of cosmic time marked by Krishna’s will.

At its core, verse 9.7 is about the supreme transcendence of Krishna in the midst of ceaseless change. He is the basis from which all things arise and to which all things return, yet He Himself remains unchanged. This understanding invites a broader vision—one that perceives beyond fleeting appearances and recognizes the constant presence of the divine at the heart of all existence. The material world’s cycles, however grand, are only temporary ripples on the eternal ocean that is Krishna.

By unfolding these cosmic rhythms and Krishna’s central, unchanging role, the verse inspires a sense of perspective and wonder about our place in the universe. It serves as a reminder that all phenomena are part of an endless dance of creation and destruction performed upon the stage of divine consciousness. While we may become engrossed in the immediate play of life, recognizing the underlying eternity offers a deeper sense of equanimity and peace.