Bhagavad Gita · 3.11 · Path of Selfless Service·11 of 43
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः।परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥
devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
Sanskrit recitation
Work as offering · 3.10–3.16 · Teaching
Translation
With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other, you shall attain the highest good.
Meaning
Deva literally means the shining one. By this sacrifice you nourish the gods such as Indra. The gods shall nourish you with rain, etc. the highest good is the attainment of the knowledge of the Self which frees one from the round of births and deaths. The highest good may mean the attainment of heaven also. The fruit depends upon the motive of the aspirant.
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→
- te
- those
- anena
- by these (sacrifices)
- param
- the supreme
- vaḥ
- you
- devān
- celestial gods
- devāḥ
- celestial gods
- parasparam
- one another
- śhreyaḥ
- prosperity
- avāpsyatha
- shall achieve
- bhāvayantu
- will be pleased
- bhāvayatā
- will be pleased
- bhāvayantaḥ
- pleasing one another
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