अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् | भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च || १७ ||
avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam bhūta-bhartṛ ca taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣṇu prabhaviṣṇu ca
avibhaktam—undivided; ca—also; bhūteṣu—in all beings; vibhaktam—divided; iva—as if; ca—also; sthitam—situated; bhūta-bhartṛ—the supporter of all beings; ca—also; tat—that; jñeyam—to be known; grasiṣṇu—the devourer; prabhaviṣṇu—the generator; ca—and.
“Undivided, yet appearing as if divided in all beings; It is to be known as the sustainer, devourer, and generator of all beings.”
The one Brahman appears as many individual beings — undivided yet seeming divided, like the one space appearing as many separate spaces within rooms. This is the illusion of maya. The same undivided consciousness sustains all beings in existence (bhuta-bhartr), ultimately withdraws them at dissolution (grasisnu), and generates them anew (prabhavisnu). These three functions — creation, sustenance, dissolution — are all movements of the one undivided Reality.
The 'appearing as if divided' is the key phrase. Apparent division is the source of all conflict — between people, nations, species. Recognizing the undivided ground beneath apparent divisions does not erase the real differences between people, but it removes the existential hostility that comes from believing in absolute separation. Practice seeing the same awareness looking through different eyes.