Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature
Verse 14.3
मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्यहम्।संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत।।14.3।।
mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata
Word Meanings
mama—my; yoniḥ—womb; mahat brahma—the total material substance, prakṛiti; tasmin—in that; garbham—womb; dadhāmi—impregnate; aham—I; sambhavaḥ—birth; sarva-bhūtānām—of all living beings; tataḥ—thereby; bhavati—becomes; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat;
Translation · English
My womb is the great Brahma; in it I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Krishna clarifies the metaphysical relationship between the Absolute and the phenomenal world. By describing the 'Mahat Brahma' (the great Brahman or the primordial material nature) as his womb, Krishna establishes that matter is not an independent entity competing with spirit; rather, it is the creative field of the Divine. He is the conscious seed-giver (Pita) and the primordial nature (Prakriti) is the fertile womb, illustrating that the entire manifested cosmos is a union of Divine consciousness and material energy. This process of impregnation signifies the infusion of 'Jiva' or consciousness into the inert matrix of matter. From the perspective of the seeker, this verse dispels the illusion of a world disconnected from the Source. It suggests that every living being carries within it the seed of the Divine, despite being wrapped in the layers of material modes. The cosmos is not a random accident or a fallen state of existence, but a deliberate, sacred manifestation where the Divine continuously breathes life into form. Recognizing this allows the devotee to see the presence of the Supreme in the heart of all creation, transforming the world from a mere obstacle into a vibrant temple of the Divine presence.
The manifested universe is a sacred union where the Supreme Consciousness impregnates primordial nature, making every living being a unique manifestation of the Divine seed in a material womb.
Connected Verses
This verse identifies the living entity as an eternal fragment of Krishna’s own Self, emphasizing the divine origin of the individual soul within the material frame.
This follow-up verse clarifies that while Krishna is the seed-giver, all species of life derive their existence from the interaction between these two forces.
Krishna reaffirms his role as the supervisor of nature, under whose glance the entire material world moves and manifests.
This verse explicitly states that Krishna is the origin and the dissolution of the entire manifested universe, echoing the relationship defined in 14.3.
Community Insights
(0)Share your understanding of this verse with fellow seekers.
No insights yet. Be the first to share your understanding of this verse.