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Bhagavad-gītā 14.4

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तय: सम्भवन्ति या: । तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रद: पिता ॥ ४ ॥
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
[sarva-yonishu kaunteya]
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
[moortayah sambhavanti yaah]
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
[taasaam brahma mahad yonir]
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
[aham beeja-pradah pitaa]
Word-for-word
sarva - yoniṣu — in all species of life kaunteya — O son of Kuntī mūrtayaḥ — forms sambhavanti — they appear yāḥ — which tāsām — of all of them brahma — the supreme mahat yoniḥ — source of birth in the material substance aham — I bīja - pradaḥ — the seed-giving pitā — father .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
sarva - yoniṣu
in all species of life
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
mūrtayaḥ
forms
sambhavanti
they appear
yāḥ
which
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
tāsām
of all of them
brahma
the supreme
mahat yoniḥ
source of birth in the material substance
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
aham
I
bīja - pradaḥ
the seed-giving
pitā
father .
Important Words
  • sarva-yoniṣu — in all species of life
    Locative plural — covers every womb in every species, 8,400,000 of them according to tradition. The verse refuses to draw a line between human and non-human. The same parentage applies.
  • mūrtayaḥ — forms
    Mūrti — the embodied form. Every species' shape is a mūrti produced by this cosmic couple. The form is mother's contribution; the soul-spark inside it is the father's.
  • mahat yoniḥ — the great womb
    The chapter JSON keeps this as a single token. Mahat-prakṛti — the material totality of verse 3 — is named again as the womb of all forms. Kṛṣṇa is consistent across the two verses: matter is womb, not rival.
  • bīja-pradaḥ — the seed-giving
    Bīja-prada — literally seed-giver. The biological metaphor is now explicit, and Kṛṣṇa claims the role for Himself in first person (aham). The whole impersonalist reading of cosmic causation is closed off by this compound: there is a personal Father at the origin.
  • pitā — father
    Pitṛ — father. The Veda's tradition of cosmic parents — Dyaus-pitṛ, Pṛthivī-mātṛ — is collapsed and personalized: Kṛṣṇa Himself is the father. Not a deva intermediary; not an abstract principle. The word at the end of the verse is the most intimate one in the cosmic vocabulary.
It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Whatever shape life takes — devas, humans, animals, plants — its mother is universal prakṛti, its father is Kṛṣṇa Himself. The verse universalizes paternity: there is one Father for the whole biosphere, irrespective of species or birthplace.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Completes the cosmological frame begun in 14.3. 'Sarva-yoniṣu' famously catalogs every species (Vedānta-saṅgraha later tallies 8.4 million). The verse refuses sectarian anthropocentrism — Kṛṣṇa's fatherhood is not limited to humans or to devotees. Theologically this grounds ahiṁsā and universal compassion. Cross-ref BG 7.10 ('bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām') and Manusmṛti 9.33 (kṣetra–bīja analogy for human procreation, reapplied cosmically here).
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कौन्तेय! सर्व-योनिषु याः मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति, तासां महद् ब्रह्म योनिः, अहं बीज-प्रदः पिता (अस्मि) ।
he kaunteya! sarva-yoniṣu yāḥ mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti, tāsāṃ mahad brahma yoniḥ, ahaṃ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (asmi) |
O son of Kuntī, whatever forms arise in all the wombs (species), of those the great Brahman is the womb, and I am the seed-giving father.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सर्व-योनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तयः सम्भवन्ति याः । तासां ब्रह्म महद् योनिः अहं बीज-प्रदः पिता ॥
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ | tāsāṃ brahma mahad yoniḥ ahaṃ bīja-pradaḥ pitā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
सर्व-योनिषु sarva-yoniṣu सर्व (adj.) + योनि (f.) loc.pl. (locative plural), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound), 'in all wombs/species' in all wombs
कौन्तेय kaunteya कौन्तेय (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), 'O son of Kuntī' O son of Kuntī
मूर्तयः mūrtayaḥ मूर्ति (f.) nom.pl. (nominative plural), 'forms, embodied shapes' forms
सम्भवन्ति sambhavanti सम्+√भू pres. (present) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice), 'they arise, come into being' arise
याः yāḥ rel. pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)f., 'which' which
तासाम् tāsām dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) gen.pl. (genitive plural)f., 'of those' of those
ब्रह्म brahma ब्रह्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), = mahat-prakṛti Brahman
महत् mahat महत् (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n., 'great' great
योनिः yoniḥ योनि (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'womb, source' womb
अहम् aham अस्मद् nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'I' I
बीज-प्रदः bīja-pradaḥ बीज (n.) + प्रद (adj. from √दा) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., upapada cpd. (compound), 'seed-giving' seed-giving
पिता pitā पितृ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'father' father
Purport

In this verse it is clearly explained that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the original father of all living entities. The living entities are combinations of the material nature and the spiritual nature. Such living entities are seen not only on this planet but on every planet, even on the highest, where Brahmā is situated. Everywhere there are living entities; within the earth there are living entities, even within water and within fire. All these appearances are due to the mother, material nature, and Kṛṣṇa’s seed-giving process. The purport is that the material world is impregnated with living entities, who come out in various forms at the time of creation according to their past deeds.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
4. O son of Kuntī, prakṛti is the mother and I am the father of all forms that arise in all wombs in this world.
Commentary

Not only at the time of creation of the universe is prakṛti the mother and I the father, but at all times. Prakṛti, mahad brahma, is the place of birth (yoniḥ), the mother, of all those forms of moving and non-moving creatures which appear in all wombs from devas to grass, and I am the giver of the seed. I am the father, the giver of the seed, the giver of the jīvas.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
4. O son of Kuntī, prakṛti is the mother and I am the father of all forms that arise within all wombs in this world.
Commentary

O son of Kuntī! Of all the bodies that appear within the wombs of the creatures from Brahmā to non-moving beings, the pradhāna is the cause of arising; it is the mother. I, the Supreme Lord, am the father, who gives the jīvas, who supplies the heap of small conscious particles according to their karmas.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The Lord by His potent glance impregnates the living entit ies within the womb of material nature. And, once in that situation,

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: These verses explain how the soul comes into the material world and is placed within the

modes of material nature

Material nature is the mother, supplying living-entity with the body (14.3)
The Lord puts him there by His potent glance and thus impregnates the material nature with the seed
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.4 O son of Kunti, yah, whatever; murtayah, forms-that have their parts and limbs integrated, which is characteristic of the formation of bodies; sambhavanti, are born; sarva-yonisu, from all wombs-from the wombs of gods, manes, humans, cattle, beasts, etc.; tasam, of them, of those forms; mahat brahma, the great-sustainer, which exists as all the (various) forms; is the yonih, womb, source. Aham, I, God; am the pita, father; bija-pradah, who desposits the seed, the agent of impregnation. (Now) is being stated which are the alities and how they bind:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.4 In all wombs such as those of gods, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Raksasas, men, animals, beasts, birds, serpents etc., whatever forms are generated, the brahman (Prakrti) is the 'great womb' or cause. Beginning from Mahat and ending with the five elements, Prakrti, with the mass of conscient selves imbedded by Me in it, is the cause. I am the sowing father. The meaning is that I am the imbedder of the multiplex of conscient selves according to each one's Karma. Now, He teaches the cause of continuing births as divinities etc., of those born in this manner at the beginning of a cycle of creation. It is due to the conjunction of these beings with Prakrti, in keeping with their old Karmas:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.4 Sarvayonisu etc. In all the wombs (whatever gives birth to anything), the expansive Energy of the Bhagavat exists as the prime cause; and hence It is the Mother having the innate nature of giving birth to the entire world process. But I am the Father, the Energetic, the Inexplicable.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.4 Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their womb and I am the seed-giving father.
Commentary

14.4 सर्वयोनिषु in all the wombs? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti (Arjuna)? मूर्तयः forms? सम्भवन्ति are produced? याः which? तासाम् their? ब्रह्म Brahma? महत् great? योनिः womb? अहम् I? बीजप्रदः seedgiving? पिता father.Commentary I am the father The Primordial Nature is the mother. The whole manifested world is the child Nature has produced in its association with me. Therefore I am called the father of this world.Wombs Such as the gods? the manes? men? cattle? beasts? birds? etc.Forms Bodies consisting of parts? limbs? organs? etc.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.4 O son of Kunti, whatever forms are born from all the wombs, of them the great-sustainer is the womb; I am the father who deposits the seed.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.4 O illustrious son of Kunti! Through whatever wombs men are born, it is the Spirit Itself that conceives, and I am their Father.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 7.6 BG 9.17 BG 10.39 SB 3.5.26 SB 11.24.4 SB 2.5.32 CC Madhya 20.273 CC Ādi 5.65 CC Madhya 19.140 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.12Praśna Upaniṣad 1.4
Concepts
Japa
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Whatever forms are produced in any species — the great material nature is their mother; I am the seed-giving father.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the cosmic parentage of all beings — material mother, spiritual father.
  • Treat every being as Kṛṣṇa's child.
  • Use this seeing in cross-species and cross-human encounters.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom do I struggle to see as Kṛṣṇa's child?
  • What does this verse ask of that struggle?
Analogy

A father plants a seed; the mother carries the form. Neither alone produces a child. Every species — ant, fish, sage, deva — is the child of this same primordial couple. We are not orphans of the cosmos; we are family of the Lord.

Stories
Kuntī recognizing the divine fatherhood

Kuntī, in her prayers in the first canto of the Bhāgavatam, addresses Kṛṣṇa as the father of all and the basis of all — not metaphorically, but with the verse-four meaning fully in hand. Her own sons had different deva-fathers, but she names Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate seed-giver behind them all.

She was not philosophizing. Having watched her children survive impossible odds, she was identifying who had actually been protecting whom. The verse becomes a daughter-in-law's bowed acknowledgement.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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