GitaChapter 3Verse 10

Gita 3.10

Karma Yoga

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥

saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ | anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo 'stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk ||

In essence: Creation itself was born with sacrifice woven into its fabric—the universe is designed for sacred exchange, not isolated consumption.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "Guruji, this sounds like a cosmic bargain—I sacrifice, and I get whatever I want? How is this different from ordinary business?"

Guru: "Tell me, when you breathe out, is it a business transaction with the trees that give you oxygen?"

Sadhak: "No... it's just how life works. I breathe out carbon dioxide, plants take it, give oxygen..."

Guru: "Exactly! This is what Prajapati established. Yajna is not business—it is the breathing of the cosmos. You exhale offering, the universe inhales and exhales blessings. Who started first? Neither. It is one continuous flow."

Sadhak: "But the verse says 'wish-fulfilling cow.' Isn't that encouraging material desires?"

Guru: "What does a good mother do when a child asks for candy all day? She gives sometimes, denies sometimes, but always nourishes. Kamadhenu is the cosmic mother. She fulfills what is truly needed—which often differs from what we think we want. A thief may pray for success; Kamadhenu may give him capture, because that is what his soul truly needs."

Sadhak: "So the 'wish-fulfilling' is not about getting specific objects?"

Guru: "The deepest wish of every being is to return home—to experience wholeness. Every other desire is a confused expression of this one wish. Through yajna, Kamadhenu gradually clarifies our desires until we wish only for That which truly fulfills. This is her supreme gift."

Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.

🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Begin with a simple offering—light a lamp, offer water to a plant, or mentally dedicate your first thoughts to the Divine. Say: 'May my day be a yajna, and may every action be an offering.' Notice how this intention shifts your relationship with the hours ahead.

☀️ Daytime

Choose one routine task—making tea, writing an email, driving—and perform it as sacred offering. Bring complete attention, as if this act were being placed on a cosmic altar. Notice the difference in quality and your own state of mind.

🌙 Evening

Before sleep, review the day: What did I offer today? What did I receive? Without judgment, simply witness the flow of giving and receiving. Acknowledge that you are part of an ancient, ongoing exchange that began with creation itself.

Common Questions

Is this verse promoting ritualistic religion? Must I perform fire sacrifices?
Yajna here means any act of offering performed with awareness and devotion. Your work, your kindness, your attention to family—all can be yajna. The Gita will later define yajna as including knowledge-sacrifice, austerity-sacrifice, and even breath-sacrifice (pranayama). The outer ritual is training wheels for the inner transformation.
If the Creator made sacrifice for prosperity, why are many devoted people poor?
Prosperity (prasava) includes material well-being but extends beyond it. A person may lack money yet be prosperous in peace, wisdom, and love. True yajna leads to 'shreyas' (lasting good), which sometimes differs from 'preyas' (immediate pleasure). The devoted poor person may be richer than the anxious billionaire.
Isn't depending on a 'wish-fulfilling cow' superstitious?
Kamadhenu is a poetic representation of the cosmic law of reciprocity. Modern physics confirms that every action has consequences rippling through interconnected systems. Whether you call it karma, causality, or Kamadhenu, the principle remains: what you offer to existence shapes what existence offers you.