Nourish what nourishes you.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः |परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ||३-११||
devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ . parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha ||3-11||
Use this verse to remember mutual care.
Meaning
Nourish the devas through this yajna, and may the devas nourish you. By nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Life works through mutual nourishment.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse teaches sacred reciprocity. The devas can be understood as divine forces, natural powers, and sustaining principles of life. When humans live with reverence, responsibility, and offering, nature and society also support them. This becomes a practical ecology of care: nourish what nourishes you. Respect the environment, relationships, mentors, customers, teams, and inner values.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna unfolds the mechanics of the sacred cycle. Through yajna, human beings nourish the devas — the cosmic powers that govern rain, sun, harvest, and the forces of life — and these in turn nourish humanity. The phrase parasparam bhavayantah, 'nourishing one another,' captures a law of mutual sustenance that runs through the universe.
This is interdependence raised to a spiritual principle. Nothing exists in isolation; we are sustained by powers and people beyond ourselves, and we owe sustenance back. To take from the web of life without giving is to break a sacred contract.
When we honour our part in this exchange — contributing rather than merely extracting — we move toward parama shreyas, the highest good. Reverent reciprocity, not self-centred accumulation, is the way of true prosperity.
In daily life
Practice reciprocity in relationships, work, nature, and spiritual life.
If a company depends on customer trust, it must nourish customers with honesty and value.
Try this today
Thank and support one person or system that sustains you.
I live in sacred reciprocity.Reflect
What nourishes my life that I have taken for granted?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘देवान् भावयत अनेन’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on sacrifice, in other chapters
- Verse 4.31A life of giving and offering leads to lasting fulfillment; a life of mere taking finds peace neither here nor hereafter.
- 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 8.4The Lord of all sacrifice dwells within your own body, so every offering reaches the Divine seated in your heart.
- Verse 17.7Even the most ordinary choices — like what you eat — carry a spiritual quality; refine the everyday, and you refine yourself.
Swipe left for 3.12 · Enjoyment must be balanced by gratitude and giving.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 3.11
Who says Bhagavad Gita 3.11, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 3.11, in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga (Karma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.11 mean?
Nourish the devas through this yajna, and may the devas nourish you. By nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 3.11 for daily life?
Practice reciprocity in relationships, work, nature, and spiritual life. If a company depends on customer trust, it must nourish customers with honesty and value.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 3.11 mean?
देवान् भावयत अनेन — nourish the gods with this (sacrifice); ते देवाः — may those gods; भावयन्तु वः — nourish you; परस्परम् भावयन्तः — nourishing one another; श्रेयः परम् — the highest good.
Where does verse 3.11 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 11 of 43 in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga. The next verse is 3.12.