3.11
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥
devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
Prajāpati (प्रजापति) is still speaking inside Kṛṣṇa's (कृष्ण) account, and the plural you is the creatures, not Arjuna (अर्जुन) alone.
The verse
By this, foster the gods, and let the gods foster you; fostering one another, you will reach the highest good.
नेपालीमा
यसद्वारा देवताहरूलाई पोस, र देवताहरूले तिमीहरूलाई पोसून्। एकअर्कालाई पोस्दै तिमीहरू परम श्रेयमा पुग्नेछौ।
Where it sits
The sacrifice is an exchange between gods and creatures, not a gift that leaves the giver poorer. 3.12 will say what the gods give back, and the name of the man who takes it without returning anything.
Split: देवान् + भावयत + अनेन + ते + देवाः + भावयन्तु + वः + परस्परम् + भावयन्तः + श्रेयः + परम् + अवाप्स्यथ
devān + bhāvayata + anena + te + devāḥ + bhāvayantu + vaḥ + parasparam + bhāvayantaḥ + śreyaḥ + param + avāpsyatha
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| देवान् | devān | accusative plural | the gods. |
| भावयत | bhāvayata | imperative, 2nd plural, causative of bhū (भू) | foster, make them thrive. |
| अनेन | anena | instrumental | by this. By the sacrifice of 3.10. |
| ते | te | nominative plural of tad (तद्) | those. |
| देवाः | devāḥ | nominative plural | the gods. |
| भावयन्तु | bhāvayantu | imperative, 3rd plural | let them foster. |
| वः | vaḥ | accusative enclitic plural | you. |
| परस्परम् | parasparam | indeclinable | mutually, each the other. |
| भावयन्तः | bhāvayantaḥ | present participle, nominative plural | fostering. |
| श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | accusative neuter | the good. |
| परम् | param | accusative neuter | the highest. |
| अवाप्स्यथ | avāpsyatha | future, 2nd plural of ava-āp (अव-आप्) | you will obtain. |
The phrases
devān bhāvayata anena (देवान् भावयत अनेन) is the command upward. Foster the gods by this. अ + अ a + a has joined bhāvayata (भावयत) and anena (अनेन).
te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ (ते देवा भावयन्तु वः) is the return. Let those gods foster you. devāḥ (देवाः) before the voiced bh (भ्) has lost its visarga: devā (देवा).
परस्परम् भावयन्तः श्रेयः परम् अवाप्स्यथ parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha is the result of the exchange. Fostering one another, you will reach the highest good. परम् + अवाप्स्यथ param + avāpsyatha is param avāpsyatha (परमवाप्स्यथ).
Sanskrit in this line
āḥ (आः) before a voiced consonant drops the visarga and leaves ā (आ). devāḥ bhāvayantu (देवाः भावयन्तु) is recited devā bhāvayantu (देवा भावयन्तु). You met the same loss on samavetāḥ (समवेताः) in 1.1. It is the same rule, on a command.
Say it back
Two imperatives, then the future. Who fosters whom. If the line becomes "please the gods so that you may win," you have dropped parasparam (परस्परम्).