Gita 15.13
Purushottama Yoga
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा | पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ||१३||
gām āviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmy aham ojasā | puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||13||
In essence: Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by My vitality; becoming the watery moon (Soma), I nourish all plants with essence.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Krishna enters the earth and becomes the moon? How literally should I take this?"
Guru: "The teaching is that the sustaining and nourishing powers in nature are not separate from the Divine. Whether you understand it as Krishna literally pervading earth's substance or as Krishna's shakti (power) operating through natural laws, the practical recognition is the same: nature's life-giving capacity is sacred, divine energy in manifest form."
Sadhak: "The moon nourishing plants—is this ancient belief still meaningful?"
Guru: "Science confirms lunar influence on tides, and farmers through ages have followed lunar cycles for planting. But more than physical mechanism, the teaching is about rasa—essence. Whatever principle makes food nutritious, flowers fragrant, herbs healing, that is the 'rasātmaka' quality. Call it biochemistry if you prefer, but recognize its ultimate source. The 'how' can be investigated scientifically; the 'why' and 'whence' point to the Divine."
Sadhak: "So eating becomes a spiritual act?"
Guru: "Exactly! When you eat, you consume the Lord's nourishment. Gratitude arises naturally. The Vedic tradition of offering food (prasadam) before eating acknowledges this. Even without ritual, the recognition transforms eating from a mundane act to communion—you are taking in divine rasa, being sustained by the Lord's ojas."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before stepping onto the ground (or floor), remember that the earth beneath is sustained by divine ojas. This recognition can begin with just a moment of awareness: 'I am about to walk on a planet pervaded by the Lord's sustaining energy.' Let this awareness permeate your day.
When eating, especially plant-based foods, recognize the moon-derived rasa that nourishes the plants and now nourishes you. A moment of gratitude before eating—not necessarily formal prayer—acknowledges this divine chain of nourishment. You are literally consuming the Lord's essence.
If the moon is visible, contemplate its role as described here: rasātmaka, full of life-giving essence. The moonlight you see is more than reflected sunlight; it is a symbol (and in Vedic view, a vehicle) of nourishing divine energy that has sustained life throughout the day. Rest in the awareness that the Lord's sustenance continues through the night.