Summary:

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 9: Yajna literally means “Vedic ritual” – any physical action acknowledging Ishvara's presence. It exists as elaborate Śrauta-yajna (complex rituals by Brahmana priests) and simple Smārta-yajna (expressing gratitude to nature, puja, japa, prayer, Karma-Yoga). Yajna's purpose is prosperity, fulfillment of desires, and spiritual growth by minimizing isolation and cultivating gratitude. Yajna converts intellectual knowledge of interconnectedness into actuality through physical expression. Being “free from attachment” means freedom from unnatural attachment (Jiva-sristi) which is distorted by fear and possessiveness. Natural attachment (Ishvara-sristi) is inseparable from natural love – you cannot truly love something without being attached to it at some level. 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 10: The Creator created humans with yajna, making ritualistic duty inseparable from existence. Even animals perform yajna instinctively, like the bird of paradise's elaborate mating dance. Yajna aligns you with the cosmic order, thereby aiding in wise decisions the bring fulfillment – your very decisions become your kamadhenu (wish-fulfilling cow).

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 11: Devas are anything that provides benefits in your life. A tree provides oxygen, thus a “tree-deva”. Without acknowledging these deities, one becomes entitled and takes things for granted, living a merely factual existence without devotion. Krishna teaches “Acknowledging the deities, and they'll take care of you” – a way of relating to laws and cosmic order as intelligent manifestations of Ishvara. By bringing gratitude into ordinary things like breathing or thinking, one recognizes dependence on deities (Ishvara in various aspects). 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 9:
Deepening Connection to Ishvara Through Yajna

यज्ञार्थात् कर्मणः अन्यत्र लोकः अयम् कर्म-बन्धनः ।
तत् अर्थम् कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्त-सङ्गः समाचर ॥ ३-९॥
yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra lokaḥ ayam karma-bandhanaḥ ।
tat artham karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara ॥ 3-9॥

A person is bound by karma if it is not done as yajña (i.e., as an offering to Īśvara). For this reason, Kaunteya (Arjuna)! being one free from attachment, perform action for the sake of that (yajña).

What is the meaning of Yajna?

Yajna literally means “a Vedic ritual”. Think of yajna as any physical action that acknowledges Ishvara's presence.

There's two kinds of yajna's:

1. 1. Śrauta-yajna (Elaborate yajna): These are complex rituals performed by Brahmana priests. EG: Agnihotra (done at sunrise/sunset, involves offering rice, ghee, chanting mantras, and throwing oblations into the right kind of fire).
   2. Smārta-yajna (Simple yajna): Can involve expressing your gratitude to various forces of nature that nourish you, puja, japa (chanting), prayer, Karma-Yoga.

Karma-yoga (entire chapter 3) falls under umbrella of simple-yajna. 

What is the purpose of Yajna?

Yajña is meant for prosperity, fulfillment of desires, and spiritual growth.  It's to minimize your  sense of isolation and bring Ishvara into different aspects of your life.  It changes your attitude from entitlement to gratitude. 

Isolation is unnatural. Connectedness is a fact. Yajna is the fix.

If you don’t see how gracious and compassionate the system is to help you survive (by supplying the sun, plants, water cycle, air, nutrients, etc) — even though you’re connected to everything, you still feel isolated.

Despite societal progress, we’re still not happier. Amongst many causes, one of them is isolation from the magic of the universe. People use to be fascinated by simple forces of nature like the ocean, sky, flowers, sunset, sunrise.

Isolation is created by human program and is unnatural. Connectedness is a fact.  Although isolation used productively is different from loneliness. 

How does yajna reduce unnatural isolation?

Yajna (mini-rituals) remind you of your connection to everything else. Yajna converts intellectual knowledge of interconnectedness – into actuality – through a physical expression.

EG: How does love for your spouse express? Certainly a lot more then thoughts. What you know, finds a way to come out through action, speech, physical gestures, generous acts, etc.  In other words, when you know something deeply, it doesn't hide, but innocently expresses.

“Perform action for sake of yajna…”

Krishna is reminding you to perform actions for sake of yajna (deepening your connection to Ishvara). Perform actions in spirit of yajna, and it'll help you live a meaningful life, because you're no longer seeing actions as mere to-do's or checkboxes to tick off, but as ways to relate to the Lord.

“Being one free from attachment…”

Krishna isn't asking for physical/mental non-attachment or detachment, because you're always connected to physical forces, and you certainly wouldn't detach from qualities like empathy and having a strong moral compass that keeps you safe, productive and discerning. In fact, you love these qualities because they improve the quality of your life.

This reveals an important truth — love and natural attachment are inseparable…

Natural attachment (Ishvara-sristi) = Natural love

These are inseparable. Can you truly love something without being attached to it at some level? When you genuinely care for someone or something, you naturally value their presence and well-being. This natural attachment is part of Ishvara-sristi (the natural order created by Ishvara).

What Krishna warns against is:

Unnatural attachment (Jiva-sristi) = Distorted love

This occurs when our natural love (or attachment) becomes contaminated by fear, possessiveness, and unrealistic expectations. Examples include:

• • Not setting boundaries because you fear abandonment
  • Treating relationships as possessions rather than connections
  • Manipulating others to maintain control
  • Catastrophizing potential loss

Problem isn't attachment itself, but rather the way we convert natural attachment (or love) into something unnatural through our projections and fears.

We're not being asked to stop loving or caring — but to recognize when our love/attachment has become distorted by our own mental projections.

True freedom comes not from abandoning attachment altogether (which is impossible for embodied beings), but from returning our attachments to their natural, healthy state — where we love without clinging, care without controlling, and value without possessing.

NEXT VERSE: Krishna demonstrates indispensability of yajna and practical examples of yajna are given…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 10:
Yajna is indispensable to human being survival

सह-यज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरा उवाच प्रजापतिः ।
अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वम् एषः वः अस्तु इष्ट-कामधुक् ॥ ३-१०॥
saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purā uvāca prajāpatiḥ ।
anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣaḥ vaḥ astu iṣṭa-kāmadhuk ॥ 3-10॥

In the beginning, the Creator, having created human beings along with yajña, said: “By this (yajña) shall you multiply. May this (yajña) be a wish fulfilling cow for you.”

“Creator having created humans along with yajna…”

Brahmā created humans along with yajna — implying ritualistic duty is inseparable from human existence. This means we need to keep realigning to the cosmic order through yajna's (rituals/ceremonies) – in order to continue prospering and surviving. 

Even animals depend on yajna to survive as a specie. For example the male bird of paradise performs an elaborate/colorful dance, spreading it's wings, vibrating and moving rhythmically – to attract the female. It offers its energy, time, and beauty – without guarantee of reward. 

Animals are programmed to doing yajna — they don't have to learn them. Humans are also programmed — for example there's an innate need to form relationship by building trust/rapport, which is a yajna. Then there's prenatal rites, naming rituals, prayers, marriage ceremonies, birthday ceremonies/rituals, etc. Due to free will, we can choose to not perform them but that distances you from the comic order. So let us see some examples of yajnas (rituals/ceremonies) which reconnect us to the Lord…

Yajnas:

Some are called samskaras, but they all fall under umbrella of yajna.

1. Garbhādhāna + Pumsavana (Conception Ceremony / Pregnancy Protection)
   • A baby-making ceremony where couples pray for a healthy child
2. Jātakarma (Welcome Ceremony)
   • A “sacred welcome party” for the baby
   • Father writes “Om” on baby's tongue with honey, whispers mantras in ear
3. Nāmakaraṇa (Name Giving)
   • Formal naming on 11th/12th day based on birth star (nakshatra). Parents whisper it into baby's ear.
4. Upanayana (Sacred Thread / Education)
   • Teen (8-16) becomes Vedic student.
   • Key Mantra: Gayatri Mantra initiation
   • What happens: Teacher ties 3-stranded thread, tied diagonally across the torso — from the left shoulder to the right hip. Left = Receiving (knowledge from guru/scriptures). Right = Giving (responsibility to uphold dharma). Thread represents 3 life debts – debt to Ishvara, Ancestors, Sages). Gets begging bowl as humility lesson.
5. Vivāha (Marriage)
   • The couple’s union is seen as a divine team effort, where the wife spiritually supports the husband’s duties (like a co-pilot in faith). Unlike Western weddings focused on love, this is a commitment to shared spiritual growth.
   • What happens: Couple takes 7 steps (vow) together:
     • (1) Nourishment [let us care/support each other's journey], (2) Strength [let us together develop our mental, physical, intellectual, emotional strength], (3) Wealth, (4) Happiness, (5) Children [let us raise dharmic children and delegate our duty to a higher cause], (6) Health, and (7) Lifelong friendship.
   • Applying in modern context:
     • Marriage involves shared growth, but individual accountability. Your wins uplift both; your mistakes stay yours.
     • Marriage is a vehicle for higher purpose — such as raising conscious kids, serving society, or mutual self-improvement.
     • The wife’s ancient role as “ritual enabler” in Vedic times, can be interpreted in modern context as being an active co-creator — where two people intentionally align their energies to build something meaningful beyond themselves.
6. Antyeṣṭi (Final Sacrifice)
   • A “spiritual send-off” for the jiva.
   • Key Mantra: Mahamrityunjaya Mantra (“Om tryambakaṃ…”)
   • What happens: Son offers sesame/water, ashes immersed in holy rivers
7. Sandhyā-vandana (Prayer Times)
   • Aligns your mind to presence of Ishvara at dawn/noon/dusk. 3x/day.
   • Key Mantra: Gayatri Mantra
8. Devayajña (God Worship)
   • Involves a 5-step service to maintain relationship with gods
   • Key Mantra: Varies (e.g., “Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya” for Vishnu)
   • What happens: Bathe, dress, feed, and “put to sleep” home idols.
9. Bhūtayajña (Creature Care)
   • Involves recognizing all beings as divine
   • Key Mantra: “Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ” (May all beings be happy)

“May this yajna be your wish fulfiller / wish-fulfilling cow”:

Through yajna, you gain peace of mind, lucidity, and a moral compass. This purifies your three inherent powers — the power to do (kriya shakti), the power to know (jnana shakti), and the power to desire (iccha shakti). When these powers are purified and used intelligently, they become like a wish-fulfilling cow (kamadhenu), bringing fulfillment to your life.

Consider the cautionary tale of the king who, through his yajna, received the boon to turn anything he touched into gold. Blinded by greed and failing to use his powers intelligently, he thoughtlessly touched his daughter when she ran to hug him — turning her to gold. His story illustrates that even powerful boons become curses when not guided by wisdom and proper discernment.

NEXT VERSE: Concept of deities (Gods) is introduced…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 11:
Devas/Deities…

देवान् भावयत अनेन ते देवाः भावयन्तु वः ।
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परम् अवाप्स्यथ ॥ ३-११॥
devān bhāvayata anena te devāḥ bhāvayantu vaḥ ।
parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha ॥ 3-11॥

Propitiate the deities with this (yajña). May those deities propitiate you. Propitiating one another, you shall gain the highest good (mokṣa).

“Propitiate the deities with this yajna”:

Anything that provides, helps or benefits you – is a deva (deities or ‘Gods' with a plural).

For instance, trees provide for you. So it's called a tree-deva. Or surya-deva (sun-deity), agni-deva (fire-deity), kāla-deva (time-deity), varuna-deva (water-deity), etc.

If don’t acknowledge or express your gratitude towards the deities (those things you depend on) — one ends up entitled, taking things for granted and living a merely factual existence without devotion or sweetness of life.

Thus Krishna says, “Acknowledging the deities, and they’ll take care of you”. It's a way of relating to laws and orders as intelligent entities, which are manifestations of Ishvara. So “deities” is means of devotion. 

The concept of having reverence for deities (forces that help sustain order for everyone) is instinctive in us, however we mainly apply it towards human species. EG: Human kills shark, and it's hardly an issue. But shark kills a human, and we sometimes kill the shark.

Krishna is also advising entire humanity to acknowledge our interdependence on nature — because without reverentially, human nature is to consume until threshold of collapse.

Summary:

Take care of deities (things you depend on), and the deities (things you depend on) will take care of you.

Meaning, attempt to bring reverentially/gratitude into ordinary things (such as breathing air, or having ability to think). It helps you recognize your dependence on the deities (Ishvara in various aspects). Attitude of gratitude also makes you more mindful and humble. Eventually, “you shall gain highest good”, which is moksha. 

NEXT VERSE: Taking without gratitude or contribution makes you a thief…

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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 9 June, 2025