devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
"Nourish the gods with sacrifice, and the gods will nourish you. By nourishing each other, you will attain the highest good."
What This Means:
It's a two-way street: you support the cosmic forces (devas), and they support you. This mutual nourishment is how everyone thrives. It's not about appeasing angry gods—it's about participating in a system of universal exchange.
Going Deeper:
The 'devas' can be understood as cosmic principles—the forces of nature, universal energies. When you act in harmony with these forces (through yajna/sacrifice), they work in your favor. 'Parasparam bhavayantah' (mutually nourishing) describes an ecological, interdependent worldview. Everything is connected.
How To Apply This:
Think of your relationships as mutual nourishment. In a good marriage, each partner nourishes the other. In a good workplace, employees and employers serve each other. When you only take, the system breaks down. When you give, you receive. This is universal law.
Key Sanskrit Terms: