Talk:Saguṇa Brahman as Antaryāmī
By Sri Vishal Agarwal
In a general sense, the word "Antaryāmī" means the Brahman who is present inside everything as the inner controller. And in a restricted sense, it refers to the Brahman that abides within our hearts as the inner controller as well as the witness. As the Supreme Bhagavān pervades the entire creation, He controls it from within and makes the entire universe alive. He ensures that all the cosmic laws are obeyed the way He intends. Nothing is outside of His control, even though we might not be able to see His lordship over the entire creation. Although omnipresent, He takes care of every individual and object in the creation as if He were a separate entity within each one of them.
"He who dwells in the ātman, yet is within the ātman, whom the ātman does not know, whose body the ātman is, who controls the ātman from within – He is your ātman, the inner controller, the immortal." — Yajurveda, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.7.22
"Although One, You have penetrated diverse beings." — Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.14.3
"He enters every one and is their inner ruler. He is the ātman (inner pervader) of everything." — Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11.1
"He enters everything and is the inner doer (of all natural and cosmic processes)." — Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.11.3
"The One Bhagavān is hidden in all beings. He is all-pervading, and the ātman (indwelling soul) of all." — Yajurveda, Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.2
"He is undivided (indivisible) and yet abides within beings as if divided. He is to be known as the sustainer of all beings, as well as their devourer and creator." — Gītā 13.16
"Supreme Bhagavān, You reside within the hearts of all creatures as the witness." — Agni Purāṇa 79.19
The "Antaryāmī" aspect of the Divine can really be subsumed within "Īśvara", but is emphasized as a separate level of Brahman by several Vaiṣṇava Hindu theologians to underscore the fact that Brahman is not merely transcendent to the creation — it also controls the Universe from within it as the Immanent Ātmā.
As the all-pervading, immanent Ātmā, Brahman is present not just within the good and virtuous humans, but also within the evil and the lowly, and also within non-human creatures. The Bhagavad Gītā therefore emphasizes that the wise should see Brahman within everyone, and therefore treat everyone with respect and reverence.
Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna: "The wise see the same ātman in a brāhmaṇa endowed with knowledge and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and even in a dog or in an outcaste." — Gītā 5.18