Bhagavad Gita · 3.10 · Path of Selfless Service·10 of 43
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः।अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥
saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛiṣhṭvā purovācha prajāpatiḥ
anena prasaviṣhyadhvam eṣha vo ’stviṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk
Sanskrit recitation
Work as offering · 3.10–3.16 · Teaching
Translation
The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By this shall you propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires—the cow that yields all the desired objects."
Meaning
Prajapati is the Creator or Brahma. Kamadhuk is another name for the cow Kamadhenu. Kamadhenu is the cow of Indra from which everyone can milk whatever one desires. (Cf.VIII.4IX.2427X.25).
After Swami Sivananda
Work as offering· 3.10–3.16→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
3.10The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By this shall you propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires—the cow that yields all the desired objects."
- 3.11With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other, you shall attain the highest good.
- 3.12The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering anything in return is indeed a thief.
- 3.13The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook food solely for their own sake indeed consume sin.
- 3.14From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.
- 3.15Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahma ever rests in sacrifice.
- 3.16He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, lives in vain, O Arjuna.
Word-by-word→
- astu
- shall be
- saha
- along with
- anena
- by this
- purā
- in beginning
- vaḥ
- your
- uvācha
- said
- eṣhaḥ
- these
- prajāḥ
- humankind
- yajñāḥ
- sacrifices
- prajā-patiḥ
- Brahma
- sṛiṣhṭvā
- created
- prasaviṣhyadhvam
- increase prosperity
- iṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk
- bestower of all wishes
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