Bhagavad Gita BG 3.10
Chapter 3, Verse 10 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ १० ॥
saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo 'stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk
Meaning
In the beginning, the Lord of Creatures (Prajāpati) created human beings together with yajna and declared: 'By this you shall flourish; let this yajna be the cow that yields all your desires.'
Understanding
Krishna now contextualises yajna cosmically. At the moment of creation, Prajāpati (the Creator) did not just make beings — he made them together with yajna (saha-yajñāḥ), as if sacrifice were woven into the fabric of existence from the beginning. The cow metaphor (iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk — 'the wish-fulfilling cow') was powerful in Vedic culture where the cow was the supreme symbol of abundance. The message: just as a cow nourishes those who tend her, yajna will nourish those who practice it. Sacrifice is not an obligation but the original law of prosperity embedded in creation itself.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सहयज्ञाः | saha-yajñāḥ | together with yajna / accompanied by sacrifice |
| प्रजापतिः | prajāpatiḥ | Lord of Creatures / the Creator Brahma |
| प्रसविष्यध्वम् | prasaviṣyadhvam | you shall flourish / prosper / multiply |
| इष्टकामधुक् | iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk | cow that yields all desired things / wish-fulfilling cow |
| पुरा | purā | in the beginning / formerly / at creation |
| प्रजाः | prajāḥ | creatures / people / beings |
| सृष्ट्वा | sṛṣṭvā | having created / after creating |
| उवाच | uvāca | said / spoke (Prajapati) |
| अनेन | anena | by this (sacrifice) |
| एषः | eṣaḥ | this (sacrifice) |
| वः | vaḥ | your / for you (plural) |
| अस्तु | astu | let it be / may it be |