Flourishing comes through contribution.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः |अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ||३-१०||
sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ . anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo.astviṣṭakāmadhuk ||3-10||
Use this verse when life feels transactional.
Meaning
In the beginning, having created beings together with yajna, Prajapati said: By this, may you flourish; may this be your wish-fulfilling source.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Creation is built on contribution, not isolated consumption.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse presents yajna as a principle woven into creation. Human beings flourish when they live in contribution, gratitude, and reciprocity. In modern language, yajna is the sacred economy of giving and receiving. Families, teams, ecosystems, and businesses collapse when everyone only takes. They grow when people contribute responsibly to the whole.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna reaches back to the dawn of creation. Prajapati, the Creator, brought forth humanity together with yajna — the principle of sacrifice woven into existence from the very start. Sacrifice was given as the kamadhuk, the wish-fulfilling cow that yields all that beings rightly need to flourish.
The vision is one of cosmic reciprocity. Life is not designed for solitary taking but for mutual giving; we thrive by participating in a great circle of offering and receiving. Sacrifice is thus not a burden imposed from outside but the original blueprint of well-being.
When we live in this spirit of contribution rather than mere consumption, our needs are met and the whole web of life prospers. To give is built into the architecture of creation itself.
In daily life
Ask not only what you can get, but what you can nourish.
A team thrives when every member contributes to culture, not only takes salary and credit.
Try this today
Choose one ecosystem, family, team, nature, workplace, and give back today.
I flourish by contributing to the whole.Reflect
What system gives to me, and how do I give back?
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Quick check
What does ‘सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on reciprocity, in other chapters
- Verse 4.11However sincerely you approach the divine, it meets you in that very way — every honest path is honored.
- Verse 9.29Divine grace shines equally on all, like the sun; devotion is simply opening the window to let that ever-present light in.
- Verse 7.4Even your mind, intellect, and ego belong to Nature — you are the awareness witnessing them, not the instruments themselves.
- Verse 8.17Set your life against the vast scale of cosmic time, and the urgency of seeking what is truly timeless becomes clear.
Swipe left for 3.11 · Nourish what nourishes you.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 3.10
Who says Bhagavad Gita 3.10, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 3.10, in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga (Karma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.10 mean?
In the beginning, having created beings together with yajna, Prajapati said: By this, may you flourish; may this be your wish-fulfilling source. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 3.10 for daily life?
Ask not only what you can get, but what you can nourish. A team thrives when every member contributes to culture, not only takes salary and credit.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 3.10 mean?
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः — mankind together with sacrifice; सृष्ट्वा — having created; पुरा उवाच — in the beginning said; प्रजापतिः — the Creator (Lord of beings); अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वम् — by this may you prosper / propagate.
Where does verse 3.10 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 10 of 43 in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga. The next verse is 3.11.