Supreme presence

Naming the constituents of the external world five materials and three of the mind but only in order to instruct the disciple as to what to discard or eliminate in seeking to know the divine Being and the divine Self. Eight constituents of the lower nature (prakriti) are listed, viz. earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind (manas), wisdom or valuation and the individuality (ahankara). Beyond these, says Krishna, speaking as Incarnation, there is another nature, my life  element, by which all this world is maintained.

He then refers to himself as the source of the distinguishing perfection of every excellent thing the light of the sun and moon, the sacred syllable (Om) among words, the good odour in the earth, the brightness of fire, the vitality in all beings, the strength of the strong, etc. 'I am not in them, but they are in me.' This indicates that all perfections represent axes of growth which have their origin beyond mind and body. This knowledge is a stimulus to devotion to that.

As to the devotees, there are four kinds, who are all good people he who is distressed; he who desires knowledge; he who seeks wealth; and he who has knowledge. The last is best. He is the Mahatma (great soul or self), who declares, from knowledge, that Brahman is all. He understands the unborn and unchanging, the Beyond.

The good, their sins ended, their minds free from confusion, their resolves firm, 'are devoted to me. These, striving for liberation from the worlds of decay and death, devoted 'to me', know Brahman, the over soul (adhyatma), and entire action, along with the material things (adhibhdta), the life side (adhidaiva), and the principle of sacrifice (adhiyajna). 'And they know me at the time of death.'

This thinking of Brahman at the time of death is regarded as a very important matter, and the listing of six items just mentioned, to be distinguished from one another, and to be seen at work in our lives is the best means to realize the glorious presence. When that glorious presence is found, its raying is seen to be the basis of all glories (vihdtis), and therefore it is stated that all beings are from That, and they are also ire That? inasmuch as they could not exist without that presence. A crude illustration of this is a pot, and the clay it is made from. And if it is said that we find that forms made by mind (all the tools, inventions, machines, clothing, houses, etc., and even, though less directly, the limbs and organs of living bodies) are independent when once they are made, still it must be added that that ability to retain themselves is also something derived from the supreme presence.

 according to Patanjali's yoga in order to be mentally sane, so one must be able to distinguish these six things in order to be philosophically aware of the glorious presence. Krishna now defines them:

(a) Brahman is the indestructible, the supreme.

(b) The self-existent is the oversoul (adhyatma).

(c) The emanation or ray which causes the rise of existing forms is action (karma).