Gita 9.8

Chapter 9: Royal Knowledge

8 / 34
Gita 9.8
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः। भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात्।।

prakṛtiṁ svām avaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛtsnam avaśaṁ prakṛter vaśāt

"Presiding over My own material nature, I project forth again and again this entire multitude of beings, helpless under nature's sway."

What This Means:

Krishna repeatedly creates by working through prakriti. The beings are 'avasha' (helpless)—they don't choose to be born; they're propelled by nature's forces (prakriti-vashat).

Going Deeper:

This is both humbling and liberating. Humbling: we're not as in control as we think. Liberating: the pressure to 'create ourselves' relaxes when we see we're being projected by a greater power.

How To Apply This:

You didn't choose your birth, your body, your initial circumstances. Rather than resenting this helplessness, can you trust the larger intelligence that projected you into existence?

Key Sanskrit Terms:

Avaṣṭabhya= Presiding over, controllingAvaśa= Helpless, without willPrakṛti-vaśāt= Under nature's control