How Is Bhagavan ‘Avyakta’?

Like fragrance in a flower and oil in sesame, the Divine is traditionally understood as unseen yet present throughout the universe

Hindu spiritual traditions often use simple examples from everyday life to explain difficult philosophical ideas. One such concept is “Avyakta”, which means the unmanifest or not directly visible. But how can something be unseen and still be present everywhere?

According to Vedamurthi Manjulagiri Venkataramana Bhatta, the traditional explanation compares the presence of Bhagavan to things that exist within something else but cannot be directly seen.

Divine Is Present, But Not Always Visible

Traditional teaching says that Bhagavan is Avyakta. This means the Divine is not necessarily visible to the ordinary senses. Yet, the Divine is traditionally understood to be present throughout the universe. Four familiar examples are used to explain this idea.

Like Fragrance in a Flower

A flower contains fragrance. Fragrance cannot be seen with the eyes. Yet its presence can be experienced. When a flower spreads its fragrance, we know that something unseen exists within it. The traditional explanation uses this as an example of the unseen Divine presence.

Like Moonlight in the Moon

Second comparison is with the moon and its light. Moon is visible. Its light illuminates the surroundings. Traditional explanation uses moonlight to illustrate how something associated with a visible form can be experienced through its effect.

Like Oil in Sesame

Third example is oil in sesame seeds. Oil is present within sesame. But it is not immediately visible in its separated form. It has to be extracted. The example is traditionally used to explain how something can be present within something else without being directly visible.

Like Ghee in Milk

Fourth example is ghee in milk. Milk does not visibly show the ghee contained within it. Yet, through a traditional process, ghee can be obtained from milk. This illustrates the idea of something being present in an unmanifest or hidden form.

Like Life Within the Body

Fifth comparison is with Prana, or life force, in the body. A person's life force cannot be directly seen. Yet its presence is recognised through life and activity. The traditional explanation uses this example to describe the unseen presence of the Divine.

Five Simple Comparisons

Idea can therefore be remembered through five examples:

Example	What it illustrates
Flower → Fragrance	Present but invisible
Moon → Moonlight	Experienced through its effect
Sesame → Oil	Present in an unmanifest form
Milk → Ghee	Present but requiring a process to reveal
Body → Prana	Unseen life principle

Together, these examples are used to explain the concept of Avyakta.

What Does ‘Avyakta’ Mean Here?

The word Avyakta can be understood as something that is not manifest or directly perceptible. Traditional explanation does not mean that Bhagavan is absent. Instead, it conveys the opposite idea. The Divine is understood as present everywhere, even when not directly visible.

From the Visible to the Invisible

Examples are drawn from familiar experiences. People cannot see fragrance. They cannot directly see oil inside a sesame seed. They cannot see ghee inside milk. They cannot see Prana as a physical object. Yet each is understood or experienced through its presence and effects. In the same way, the traditional spiritual interpretation explains Bhagavan as Avyakta - unseen, yet pervading the universe.

A Simple Way to Remember the Teaching

Fragrance in the flower.
Moonlight in the moon.
Oil in sesame.
Ghee in milk.
Prana in the body.
Bhagavan in the universe.

These comparisons provide a simple way of explaining a complex spiritual idea.

As explained by Vedamurthi Manjulagiri Venkataramana Bhatta, the examples illustrate the traditional understanding that Bhagavan remains unmanifest to ordinary perception while being present throughout the universe.

ಭಗವಂತ 'ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತ' ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟಪಡಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ?

ಹೂವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಮಳವಿರುವಂತೆ, ಚಂದ್ರನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳದಿಂಗಳಿರುವಂತೆ, ಎಳ್ಳಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಣ್ಣೆ ಇರುವಂತೆ, ಹಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ತುಪ್ಪ ಇರುವಂತೆ, ಶರೀರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಇರುವಂತೆ ಭಗವಂತ ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತನಾಗಿ ವಿಶ್ವದಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಾ ವ್ಯಾಪಿಸಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ.

| ವೇದಮೂರ್ತಿ ಮಂಜುಳಗಿರಿ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣ ಭಟ್ಟ,

This article presents a traditional theological interpretation of the concept of “Avyakta” and does not make a scientific claim about the existence or nature of the Divine.

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