Shloka 12
यथाग्निमेधस्यमृतं च गोषु भुव्यन्नमम्बूद्यमने च वृत्तिम् । योगैर्मनुष्या अधियन्ति हि त्वां गुणेषु बुद्ध्या कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १२ ॥
yathāgnim edhasy amṛtaṁ ca goṣu bhuvy annam ambūdyamane ca vṛttim yogair manuṣyā adhiyanti hi tvāṁ guṇeṣu buddhyā kavayo vadanti
Just as fire is drawn from wood, milk from the cow, grains and water from the earth, and prosperity from one’s endeavors, so by practicing bhakti-yoga—even within this material world—one can attain Your favor and approach You with awakened intelligence. The pious sages declare this.
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is nirguṇa, not to be found within this material world, the entire material world is pervaded by Him, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā ( mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam ). The material world is nothing but an expansion of the Lord’s material energy, and the entire cosmic manifestation rests upon Him ( mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni ). Nonetheless, the Supreme Lord cannot be found here ( na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ ). A devotee, however, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the practice of bhakti-yoga. One ordinarily does not begin to practice bhakti-yoga unless he has practiced it in previous births. Moreover, one can begin bhakti-yoga only by the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. The seed of devotional service is obtainable by the mercy of guru, the spiritual master, and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse explains that the Lord is realized as the indwelling reality—like fire hidden in wood—through yoga and refined intelligence, and that sages describe Him as the inner controller within the material modes.
Shukadeva Gosvami speaks this while narrating to King Parikshit the events leading up to the churning of the ocean, emphasizing the Lord’s immanence and how the wise perceive Him.
Practice steady spiritual discipline (yoga in the broad sense) and cultivate discernment to see the divine presence behind nature’s workings, rather than viewing the world as merely mechanical or accidental.