God Alone Exists Always and Everywhere

This article is from my upcoming book, ‘FROM WITHIN TO THE INFINITE.’

God Alone Exists Always and Everywhere

What can I offer you? What truly belongs to me? This heart is Yours, and this life is Yours.

You pervade every particle, and every atom belongs to You.

Your image is enchanting, and your form is ever so beautiful.

This is the absolute truth: whatever is visible or invisible, whether within or beyond this universe, is but the manifestation of the Supreme Being. Nothing exists apart from God. Even the one who understands and explains this truth embodies the same divine essence known by various names—Parameshwar, Paramatma, Nirguna, Saguna, and Parabrahman.

In the Chatushloki Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Supreme Lord imparts divine wisdom to Lord Brahma. The Supreme Lord said:

“Before creation, I alone existed; there was nothing else—neither the manifest nor the unmanifest.

After creation, I alone exist, and after dissolution, only I shall remain.

Whatever appears to exist apart from Me is My illusion, like a reflection or darkness.

Just as the five great elements pervade all beings yet remain distinct, so do I exist within all yet remain beyond them.

This alone is worthy of inquiry for the seeker of truth—to realize that which exists always and everywhere.”

This means that before the creation of the universe, only God existed. He alone was truth and untruth; nothing else existed apart from Him. Even after the dissolution of creation, He alone remains. The entire animate and inanimate universe is His manifestation.

That which appears to exist independently of the Self is merely Maya. The very meaning of Maya is “Ma” (not) and “Ya” (that which appears to be). It is that which neither existed before nor will remain forever. Apart from the Self, everything perceived is illusory, like darkness or a shadow.

For seekers of truth, the only reality worth knowing is the Self—the eternal essence that remains unchanged across the three worlds (heaven, earth, and the netherworld) and the three periods of time (past, present, and future).

Just as the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—exist within all objects yet remain independent, so does the Divine dwell in all beings while remaining beyond them.

When the formless divine light assumed form, it manifested as creation—gods, demons, humans, mountains, rivers, and all animate and inanimate existence—pervading every atom and expressing countless divine plays. It is beautifully said:

In every land, in every form, You alone reside;

Though known by many names, you are one.

From atoms, you shaped the universe—

You became mountains, trees, and flowing streams.

Rising as clouds from the ocean,

You descend again as rain.

Rivers return to merge with the sea—

In every land, in every form, You are One.

The sacred scriptures—the Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, and Upanishads—proclaim His omnipresence. Through divine plays, the Lord manifests in countless forms to protect righteousness and uplift devotees.

He appeared as Varaha to redeem Hiranyaksha, as Narasimha to protect Prahlada, as Kurma during the churning of the ocean, as Mohini to distribute nectar, and as countless other incarnations. As creator, preserver, and destroyer, He alone enacts every role.

He is both Saguna (with attributes) and Nirguna (without attributes), both with form and formless. As Mother, He is Shakti; as Father and Son, He is equally present. As Radha-Shyam, Lakshmi-Narayan, and Parvati-Shankar, He alone manifests in all.

How can I describe Him when the one who speaks and the one who listens are both His forms? I myself am but an instrument of His divine play, inspired by Him to write these words.

A saint once expressed this divine sentiment:

O Lord, tell me—what kind of devotion is this You have awakened in me?

Dwelling within me,

Why do You make me search for You within myself?

You are the heart and the beloved.

You are love and the lover.

You are the shell and the pearl.

The lamp and its light.

You are the doer and the deed.

The cause and the effect.

Indeed, God pervades everything equally and eternally.

Just as a piece of sugar tastes sweet from every side, divine sweetness permeates the entire universe. Illustrative Analogies

Ghee in Milk:

Ghee is hidden in milk, though not visible. Through a special process, it is extracted. Similarly, God is realized through study, devotion, love, knowledge, and spiritual practice.

Electricity in a Wire:

Electric current cannot be seen, yet it powers countless devices. Likewise, the Divine energizes the entire universe.

Drops and the Ocean:

A drop or wave appears separate but merges into the ocean. So too, all beings unite with the Supreme.

Gold and Ornaments:

Different ornaments have distinct names and forms, but when melted, they become pure gold. Likewise, all forms ultimately dissolve into the Supreme Reality. It is said:

“I searched for You throughout the world but found no trace.

When I finally found You, I discovered that ‘I’ no longer existed.

In worldly life, under the influence of Maya, we consider ourselves supreme. Yet those blessed by divine grace realize the eternal truth and immerse themselves in the ocean of bliss.

I humbly say:

Everything belongs to God; God dwells in all.

Whatever the Lord ordains is always for our welfare.

In conclusion, the Supreme Being manifests in countless names, forms, and shapes, enacting His divine play—sometimes through attachment, sometimes through detachment; sometimes as joy, sometimes as sorrow; sometimes as knowledge, sometimes as ignorance. Creation, preservation, and dissolution are all expressions of His cosmic play.

As beautifully said,

God exists everywhere and in everyone. Nothing in this universe is separate from Him.