The great Brahman (prakriti, material nature) is My womb. In that I place the seed. From that, O Bharata, comes the birth of all beings.
Synthesis
The great Brahman (prakriti) is God's womb, and in that He places the seed from which all beings arise. Shankara explains this as Brahman's apparent association with maya producing the manifold world. Ramanuja sees God as the efficient cause who activates Prakriti. The Bhakti tradition marvels at God's creative intimacy with His creation. Madhva explains that God uses real material nature as the medium for creation, placing individual souls into matter under His sovereign direction. Abhinavagupta reads this as Shiva placing the seed of consciousness into the womb of Shakti — an act of divine creative delight. Vallabha teaches that creation is an intimate act of divine self-expression, making all of creation sacred. Tilak sees this as establishing that all beings have a divine origin, ennobling every creature and action. Vivekananda finds here the basis for universal dignity: every being is born from the union of divine consciousness and cosmic nature.
Commentaries 8 traditions
Shankara explains 'mahad brahma' as prakriti, the great cause of the material world. Brahman, through its maya, seeds consciousness into this field, giving rise to the multiplicity of beings — all ultimately rooted in one non-dual reality.
Apply This Verse
Personal Growth
You are a product of both consciousness (spirit) and conditioning (nature). Growth means recognizing that your deepest identity is the awareness behind your habits, not the habits themselves.
Questions this verse answers
- ?"What is my true origin — am I my habits or something deeper?"
- ?"How do spirit and matter combine to make me who I am?"
- ?"What does it mean to be a child of the divine?"