Ishvara the Supreme Master

Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati

In our scriptures the term Ishvara is used to refer to God.
Ishvara means the Master, the Supreme Master. There is only
one Ishvara. Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Saraswati, Lakshmi and
Parvati are all different aspects of that one Ishvara. Ishvara
alone is called devi or devata. People are called by different
names in different places according to the role they are playing
a person may be called Pitaji ? by his children, his wife may
call him by his given name, he may be addressed as Babuji
in the neighbourhood, and Boss in the office. They are all
different names of the same person. Similarly, God is one but
some call Him by the name Brahmaji, some call Him Vishnu or
Mahesh and yet others call Him Kali. Rama, Krishna, Ganesha
are among the many varied names of that one Ishvara.

Where does Ishvara reside? Bhagavan reveals 1 that He

resides in the heart of all beings. People have funny notions
that God is only in human beings. He is present in animals,
birds and plants as well as in little insects, viruses, bacteria. In
short, He is in all beings, sarvabhutanam. The word heart
means the very core, the very essence. Ishvara is all pervading
and resides even in matter. Being in all, He controls all.
Therefore another one of His names is Antaryami. Remaining
inside, He controls everything and everyone. Being the sky, He
controls the sky. Being the air, He controls the air. Being in the
hearts of all beings, He controls all.

What does He do? Ishvara makes all beings move like the
unseen hand that pulls the strings of puppets. He makes them
function. Individuals have the notion that I am acting. This is
notion though it is very strong, is an erroneous belief. Ishvara
1

resides in each one of us not as a part but as a whole.

Bhagavan is complete in everyones heart. 100% God is there
in everyone and it is He who makes everything move and
function.

How? yantrarudhani like a mechanical device, a machine.

Machines function according to the directions given in the
manual. You can predict exactly how the machine will function
if you have studied it thoroughly. Satellites are sent to other
planets by man. There is no human crew on the satellite. A
satellite which is sent to Mars, lands there at a pre-planned
time and place. Samples of the soil are collected and analysed.
Photographic images are transmitted back to Earth. All this is
done without a human being present there. Now here is an
interesting aspect to consider. Suppose you are on Mars and
see the satellite landing, followed by the robotic machine
coming out of it and doing its work. Even in your wildest
dreams, you will never imagine that it is being controlled by
some unseen men sitting on faraway earth. If someone were to
tell you that it is being controlled by NASA, you will never
believe it. Similarly, like the satellite and its movements, our
body and its functions too are controlled by an unseen entity
Ishvara. In fact, the entire cosmos is controlled by Ishvara
through His power called Maya. God does not stay at a
particular place and control from there. He is everywhere. The
cosmos we experience is very different from the reality.
Keeping this in mind, we should try to comprehend the nature
and presence of Ishvara and dedicate all our actions to him.
When we get tuned to Ishvara perfectly, we become free from
the sense of doership.

We should allow Ishvara to function through us, without

thinking that I am doing. We have to allow action to happen
without interference from ahamkara, kama krodha, lobha,
2

mada, moha, matsarya. This is true spontaneous action. This is

real Ishvara ichha. This is very powerful. Understand it in the
right perspective.

ivarah sarva-bhtnm

hrd-dee 'rjuna tisthati

bhrmayan sarva-bhtni
yantrrdhni myay

Bhagavad Gita 18.61

The Author is the Head of Chinmaya Mission Delhi and NCR.