Bhagavad Gita · Karma YogaChapter 3, Shloka 11 (3.11)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
देवान् भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ
॥ 3.11 ॥
devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha
Translation
"(Prajapati said:) With this (yajña) nourish the gods, and may those gods nourish you; nourishing one another in this way, you will attain the highest good."
Interpretation
A two-way relationship. Humans "strengthen" the gods through yajña; the gods nourish humans through rain and the like. The key word: parasparam — mutually.
"Paraṃ śreyaḥ" — what is it?
- Shankaracharya: two possibilities — paraṃ mokṣa-lakṣaṇaṃ jñāna-prāpti-krameṇa — liberation, by way of attaining knowledge; svargaṃ vā — or heaven.
- Acharya Ramanuja: paraṃ śreyo mokṣākhyam — liberation. And who are the gods? mac-charīra-bhūtān mad-ātmakān — "who are my body, whose self I am" — that is, the worship of the gods too is ultimately the worship of the Lord. He quotes 9.24 — ahaṃ hi sarva-yajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca — I alone am the enjoyer and the lord of all yajñas.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.