A declaration · expansive in mood · a little context helps
“Life is nourished from within by the same presence that holds it together.”
Entering the earth, I sustain all beings with my power. Becoming the moon of life-giving essence, I nourish all plants.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallythe earth · entering · and · beings · I sustain · I · with power · I nourish · and · plants, herbs · all · the moon · having become · of life-giving essence
Krishna says he enters the earth to support all living beings, and he becomes the moon that nourishes all plants and herbs.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Purushottama Yoga" (The Yoga of the Supreme Person).
Verse 13 sits in Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita — Purushottama Yoga, "The Yoga of the Supreme Person". The chapter has 20 verses in total.
You water a dying plant on a kitchen sill and think it is a small act. This verse says even that life-giving moisture, firmness, and growth are already held by the divine presence.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from isolated objects to the sustaining presence running through them all.
What this verse means
Krishna says he enters the earth to support all living beings, and he becomes the moon that nourishes all plants and herbs.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is still frozen while Krishna reveals how he sustains the world itself. The same presence that fills the earth with strength also becomes the moon’s nourishing essence for plants. This verse is one link in Krishna’s larger explanation of his universal presence.
Why this verse still matters
You water a dying plant on a kitchen sill and think it is a small act. This verse says even that life-giving moisture, firmness, and growth are already held by the divine presence.
“The world is not separate from divine support; even ordinary nourishment is held from within.”
Explore related themes: vibhuti (43 verses)