Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 11
Bhagavad Gītā 3.11: Help each other grow
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥
devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; nourishing one another, you will attain the supreme good. The devas are often understood as the powers that sustain the world; the verse describes a give-and-take between human effort and the order that supports it.
For children
Krishna says: “Take care of the world around you, and it will take care of you. When everyone helps each other, everyone does well.”
Kṛṣṇa is still telling what the Creator said at the beginning of the world (3.10–3.12).
Word by word
देवान्भावयतानेन — With this offering, honour the gods
- deva: god, a bright power of nature
- bhāvayata: honour!, nourish!
- anena: by this (offering)
ते देवा भावयन्तु वः — and may the gods care for you
- bhāvayantu: may they nourish
- vaḥ: you
परस्परं भावयन्तः — By caring for one another
- paraspara: one another
- bhāvayantaḥ: caring for, nourishing
श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ — you will reach the highest good
- śreyas: what is truly good
- para: highest
- avāpsyatha: you will reach
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.