Chapter 3: The Path of Action · Verse 10

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः |

अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥१०॥

sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ |

anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo'stviṣṭakāmadhuk ||10||

In the beginning, the Creator (Prajapati) brought forth beings together with sacrifice and said: By this shall you prosper; let this be the wish-fulfilling cow (kamadhuk) that grants your desires.

creation yajna reciprocity abundance cosmic-order generosity

Synthesis

Krishna invokes a cosmic principle: creation itself was born alongside the spirit of sacrifice. Mutual giving is not a moral add-on but the fundamental operating system of existence. The metaphor of the wish-fulfilling cow suggests that when beings engage in reciprocal service, the universe itself responds with abundance. This is not transactional karma but the recognition that individual flourishing is inseparable from collective well-being. Every tradition sees in this verse the divine blueprint for a cooperative, giving society. Madhva's Dvaita reads the cosmic covenant as a divine obligation to worship Vishnu through sacrifice. Abhinavagupta sees consciousness and its creative expression arising together — the cosmic yajna as consciousness delighting in its own manifestation. Vallabhacharya's pushti marga reads the kamadhuk as divine grace responding naturally to devotional engagement. Tilak emphasizes that mutual service is creation's fundamental social design. Vivekananda draws the practical truth that prosperity flows from contribution, not hoarding.

Commentaries 8 traditions

Advaita Vedanta/Adi Shankaracharya

Shankara explains that Prajapati established yajna as the cosmic mechanism of sustenance. Creation, sustenance, and liberation all operate through the principle of sacrifice. The individual who participates in this cycle aligns with the cosmic order (rita) and prospers.

Apply This Verse

Personal Growth

Contribution is not something you do after you succeed — it is the mechanism by which you succeed. Building a life around giving and serving creates a natural flow of opportunity and fulfillment.

Questions this verse answers

  • ?"Does giving actually help me succeed, or is that naive?"
  • ?"How do I build a life around contribution, not just achievement?"
  • ?"What happens when I shift from taking to giving?"
  • ?"Is prosperity really connected to generosity?"