Path of Selfless Service
Verse 3.15
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम्। तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम्।।3.15।।
karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣhara-samudbhavam tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣhṭhitam
Word Meanings
karma—duties; brahma—in the Vedas; udbhavam—manifested; viddhi—you should know; brahma—The Vedas; akṣhara—from the Imperishable (God); samudbhavam—directly manifested; tasmāt—therefore; sarva-gatam—all-pervading; brahma—The Lord; nityam—eternally; yajñe—in sacrifice; pratiṣhṭhitam—established
Translation · English
Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahma ever rests in sacrifice.
Deep Meaning · English
This verse serves as a crucial metaphysical bridge connecting the mundane act of duty with the transcendental nature of the Divine. Lord Krishna establishes that Karma—the active engagement with the world—is not a mere social or ethical construct, but is born from the Vedas, which in turn emerge from the Akshara, the Immutable Brahman. By tracing the origin of our actions back to the Ultimate Reality, Krishna transforms every purposeful duty into an act of cosmic resonance. It suggests that when we act, we are not functioning as isolated ego-centers but as instruments of a divine order that is continuously manifesting. Furthermore, the assertion that the all-pervading Brahman is eternally established in yajna (sacrifice) redefines the nature of existence itself. Sacrifice, in this context, is not merely a ritualistic offering but the act of surrendering the fruits of one's labor and the egoic 'doer' identity to the whole. Because the Divine is 'sarva-gatam' (all-pervading), any action performed in the spirit of selfless service—a 'yajna' of the heart—becomes a direct point of contact with the eternal. This empowers the seeker to perceive that the mundane world and the Supreme Brahman are not separate; rather, the Divine is perpetually present within the sacred rhythm of our daily service.
All legitimate action originates from the Divine, and when performed as a selfless sacrifice, that action becomes a living vessel for the all-pervading Presence of God.
Connected Verses
Connects the worship of the Lord—who is the source of all beings and the all-pervading reality—through the performance of one's own prescribed duties.
Illustrates the practical application of this verse, where Krishna asks Arjuna to offer every action, food, or austerity as an oblation to Him.
Explicitly confirms that for the enlightened soul, the act of offering, the offering itself, and the fire are all Brahman.
Establishes the foundational logic that Prajapati created humanity along with sacrifice, linking creation directly to the necessity of selfless duty.
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