Manifested and Unmanifested

December 2, 2025

K Siva Prasad
Senior IAS officer in the Punjab Government

A small change in the trim tab attached to the rudder changes the course of a large ship. Similarly, a nudge to study the Gita can reorient our course in life. The Gita is perceived differently by different people based on their perspective. By understanding some basic concepts, the Gita can be easily inculcated.
The Gita is an eternal textbook from kindergarten to post-graduation, for internal realization. It is likely that in the first reading, very few concepts are understood. They can be easily understood if we approach from the viewpoint of the manifested and unmanifested. Manifested is that which is within the realm of our naked senses including the scientific instruments built to extend these senses and unmanifested, is beyond the grasp of our senses.

The story of the manifested begins with the Big Bang. It continues with the formation of stars. In the cores of these stars, atoms fuse to create heavier chemical elements. These elements were scattered when stars exploded. Planetary systems then formed from this cosmic material. Eventually, intelligent life evolved when conditions were suitable.

The scientific community agrees that all manifested forms – living entities, planets, stars, and even the universe itself – exist within a definite time frame. While the exact time scales may differ, their impermanence is a widely accepted fact.

On the other hand, behind the perishable manifested world, there exists the imperishable unmanifested which is like an invisible quantum field. Krishna calls the former as His lower nature (apara prakriti) and the latter as His higher nature (para prakriti). Life is the combination of a manifested physical body which is perishable and an unmanifested soul which is eternal. With this clarity at the back of our minds, we can easily understand the relationship between them as explained in the Gita to reach the goal of realizing the unmanifested (moksha).
Though ahankaar stands in the way, the measure of anand felt – untouched by outer pleasure or pain – reveals how far one has traveled toward the unmanifested.