There is divine presence always. We would like to see the omnipresent and omniscient form declaring its presence as such. Even when Krishna was alive, how many saw him as such. Arjuna, who spent decades as Krishna’s close companion, did not perceive Krishna as divine until the profound moment of the Kurukshetra war, when the teachings of the Gita were revealed. At this point, it is said, Arjuna was already over sixty years old, highlighting the rarity of such recognition even among those nearest to the divine. Conversely, individuals like Kunti, Draupadi, and Bhishma were aware throughout their lives of Krishna’s divine identity, though few around them shared this understanding.
This phenomenon is not limited to one tradition. Few saw Jesus as the Son of God while he was among them. Instead, he faced rejection and crucifixion. Yet, after his passing, the faith he inspired grew to become the largest religion globally.
These instances illustrate that the divine has walked the earth in many forms and at various times, but its presence is not always recognised as such by all.
The concept of divine omnipresence is powerfully articulated in ancient Indian scripture. The Ishavasya Upanishad begins with a bold proclamation, which Mahatma Gandhi regarded as so significant that, were all other knowledge to be lost, this single sentence could reconstruct the entire body of philosophy. The verse states:
ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् ।
īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ
yatkiñca jagatyāṃ jagat |
All this-whatsoever moves in this universe (and those that move not) is covered (indwelt or pervaded or enveloped or clothed) by the Lord.
This is a bold declaration that the divine is present in all of creation. Divine only is!! In further mantras, the Upanishad goes on to say that for the One who sees Self in everything and everything in his Self, how can there be aversion, delusion or grief. The message of Oneness is clear and resounding, emphasising the divine unity underlying all existence.
