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Fertilizer

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

SB 4.19.9, Translation and Purport:

King Pṛthu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely.

As stated in Īśopaniṣad, this material creation is supplied with all the potencies for the production of all necessities required by the living entities—not only human beings, but animals, reptiles, aquatics and trees. The oceans and seas produce pearls, coral and valuable jewels so that fortunate law-abiding people can utilize them. Similarly, the hills are full of chemicals so that when rivers flow down from them the chemicals spread over the fields to fertilize the four kinds of foodstuffs. These are technically known as carvya (those edibles which are chewed), lehya (those which are licked up), cūṣya (those which are sucked) and peya (those which are drunk).

SB 4.19.9, Purport:

Pṛthu Mahārāja was greeted by the residents of other planets and their presiding deities. They presented various gifts to the King and acknowledged him as the proper type of king by whose planning and activities everyone throughout the universe could be happy and prosperous. It is clearly indicated in this verse that the oceans and seas are meant for producing jewels, but in Kali-yuga the oceans are mainly being utilized for fishing. Śūdras and poor men were allowed to fish, but the higher classes like the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas would gather pearls, jewels and coral. Although poor men would catch tons of fish, they would not be equal in value to one piece of coral or pearl. In this age so many factories for the manufacture of fertilizers have been opened, but when the Personality of Godhead is pleased by the performance of yajñas, the hills automatically produce fertilizing chemicals, which help produce edibles in the fields. Everything is dependent on the people's acceptance of the Vedic principles of sacrifice.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Light of the Bhagavata

Light of the Bhagavata 45, Purport:

The navānna-prāśana ceremony is observed as a way of acknowledging the gifts of God. Newly collected grains would first be offered to the Lord by the villagers, either individually or collectively, and in either case all the members of the village would partake of the prasādam thus offered to the Lord. Such ceremonies make the people happy and prosperous.

We should always acknowledge the mercy of God. We should not think that we can produce ample food grains merely with the help of tractors and fertilizers. These can help us only as instruments for such production; without the sanction of the Lord there is no possibility of having grains, even if there are trucks and fertilizers.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prof. Kotovsky: Oh, you are right in this sense to my mind that the Indian cultural heritage is to be made known everywhere. That's right. But from the..., in the same time, in what way this would benefit Indian training masters(?) themselves? Because they are sitting in India...

Prabhupāda: No, India...

Prof. Kotovsky: ...and they have nothing from spreading of Indian cultural heritage and etc. over the world. Indian villagers have to have fertilizers, tractors, etc...

Prabhupāda: We do not object to that. There is no objection.

Prof. Kotovsky: Yes, I don't think that you object.

Prabhupāda: No.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:
Prabhupāda: So suppose if a very intelligent son kills another son of the father, he is not intelligent, will the father be very happy? A father is father for the intelligent son and the fool son. But if the intelligent son thinks that "The fool son is useless. Let me kill him," the father will not be satisfied. So God is the supreme father, and He will never tolerate that "Because you are intelligent, you are allowed to kill another unintelligent living being." No. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: (ISO 1) "Whatever foodstuff I have given to you, you eat then, live and be God conscious." The animals, they are not coming to eat your foodstuff, your fruits. They are, rather, producing milk not for drinking themselves. They are giving you, and you have no obligation? The milk produced by the cows, it is taken by the human being. They do not drink it. So they are giving milk. And after death, you are taking their skin. So every way they are serving. The stool, cowdung, we have stacked here. I have seen. There also fertilizer. In so many ways they are giving you service, and you are killing the poor animal. What is the human civilization? Therefore Lord Buddha wanted to stop animal killing first. When there was too much animal killing, the incarnation of Lord Buddha was there to stop animal killing. In Buddhism there is no animal killing. Although they are now killing animals, but originally Buddha religion means non-violence. Also Lord Christ also said, "Thou shalt not kill." And Kṛṣṇa says, ahiṁsā. So in no religion unnecessary killing of animals is allowed. Even in Mohammedans, they are also... Kurvāni. Kurvāni means they can kill animals once in a year in the Mosque. So everywhere animal killing is restricted.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Nityānanda: We just cut it two days ago, and then it rained. We have to wait for it to dry before you can...

Prabhupāda: They will not be spoiled.

Nityānanda: Yes, if it stays here too long, it will spoil.

Prabhupāda: And it rains.

Devotee (2): We will take it to the garden.

Prabhupāda: Then it will be soil? It will be fertilizer soil? Or no. When it is decomposed? (break) Drinking water?

Nityānanda: Milk.

Prabhupāda: Milk. (laughter) That is meant for calves? Those milk?

Nityānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Nityānanda: The barn.

Prabhupāda: No, this part.

Nityānanda: Oh, that's the door. It fell off. These are orange trees here.

Prabhupāda: Oh. How long it will take to grow?

Nityānanda: Well, some down here already have a few oranges, but it will take a few years before they give a lot. They are very sweet kind. (break)

Prabhupāda: So small still. They are growing.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: But most things are not yet fructified. This is early in our season. Peas will be ready just shortly. Lettuce is ready.

Prabhupāda: Vegetables, ghee, milk, wheat, then what do you want more?

Kīrtanānanda: The wheat is just about ready for harvest.

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say we can grow all these things and eat very nicely. Where is economic problem? Yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. (break)

Kīrtanānanda: It's full of cow stool and urine.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā, for fertilizer?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes, fertilizer. Nothing is wasted.

Prabhupāda: You can make gas also.

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. That was originally an oil tank.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Utilizer. Bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Extracts.

Rūpānuga: Extracts from.

Prabhupāda: Extracts.

Rūpānuga: Suppose like now, just like this Vedic injunction against artificial fertilizers in the soil, suppose, as modern farmers are doing, they use this artificial fertilizer and the soil becomes depleted in minerals.

Prabhupāda: That means artificial is the same principle. You are living entity; by artificial fertilizer you are exacting something from the earth, the same principle.

Rūpānuga: Now suppose we take so many chemicals from the earth and they may become a little depleted. Can those chemicals be replaced by the earth itself as the ongoing process of nature?

Prabhupāda: Everything is coming from the earth.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: This body minus life, what is the value?

Bali-mardana: He said none.

Interviewer: None, no value.

Prabhupāda: No value.

Interviewer: Except as fertilizer.

Prabhupāda: So we are working on that platform where the life is there. And people in general they are working on the platform of this body.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: First of all try to understand the car is moving with the help of the driver. So the driver and the car they are always different identity. So when the car is dead, the driver do not work with the car, but the driver is important within the car or without the car.

Bali-mardana: In other words, the soul is important with this body or without this body. But the body without the soul is simply fertilizer, like you said, it's dead, useless. So our mission is to educate people about the driver, about the soul within the body.

Prabhupāda: And people are generally working on the body.

Interviewer: People are generally working on the body.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And we are working on the driver of the body. That is the difference.

Interviewer: Working on the driver of the body. On the spirit, right?

Prabhupāda: Yes, on the spirit soul. And because they do not know what is the difference between the soul and the body, they cannot understand what is our contribution.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, we can utilize the gobar in different way.

Indian man: No, but gobar gas is not good, that's why...

Prabhupāda: No, no, not good. But we have to arrange for this plant, generate gas. So why not direct?

Indian man: No, but the fuel is achieved, but the fertilizer is lost. Gobar, there are two elements. One is a methane gas and one is fertilizer. If you burn it you are burning the fertilizer which is very, very important, and very, very useful against the fuel that we get.

Prabhupāda: No, that ash is very good.

Indian man: No ash is not the full fertilizer. It is only partial. 10% of the fertilizer becomes ash. The organic matter is burned with great loss to the society and the earth.

Prabhupāda: But in our Māyāpura, that plant, we spent so much, it has not become successful.

Indian man: No that is mechanical fault. Just like electricity now it has failed. Now sir, we should not stop utilizing electricity.

Prabhupāda: No, any machine, that defect will be there.

Indian man: But that we have been working for twenty years in Ahmedabad. Everybody is very happy there, and they're actually making money out of it. The fertilizer that is there is about four times what is normally achieved. So good maintenance are required for any...

Prabhupāda: (sneezes loud) I have no objection, but I've got experience. In Māyāpura it is failure.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But these coconuts, there would be more coconuts if they are looked after, all these, putting fertilizer on and watering them. All these houses behind here, they should be very planned out. This is all filthy. Behind it is very filthy. All these tenants will be segregated on one side, this side. And those living, they will be taking possession and...

Prabhupāda: No, instead of taking one building, we are in possession of the all the buildings. Then that is my policy, that we must remain on the head of every building. Therefore I constructed. They cannot say absolutely it is tenant, no. Mixed. We are therefore occupying the head of every building, fixed building.

Dr. Patel: There are some grand courts again (?) behind...

Prabhupāda: That is one story. Otherwise we are on the head. They cannot monopolize the whole building.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). That is required. You... How do you know Morarji is interested in...?

Mr. Myer: Well, all the government bosses now, they have defined that "We don't want any big industry." They want all the people in villages. They don't want to use fertilizer.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is our...

Mr. Myer: They want to use compost.

Prabhupāda: This is our...

Mr. Myer: That is what has been in Ahmedabad. I spent one night with Mahāṁśa Swami, and they are also digging up the pits. They are making their own fertilizer. Everything is... That's... You see, that's a policy of Ram Mandir's(?) because they want to create more jobs. The village must become very...

Prabhupāda: Let government help us. If they do not help us even with some men to stay here... Indians are not joining. But they are willingly joining, sacrificing everything.

Correspondence

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Bombay 15 November, 1974:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 9, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the land purchase, these soil tests are unnecessary. All the land in that area needs fertilizers, that we know. Anyway, you can give up this. If there is doubt, then there is no need for purchasing this land.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 11 January, 1976:

We shall never use this artificial fertilizer on our farms. It is forbidden in the sastras. If you plant easily grown crops once in the year, then the earth will not become exhausted. Don't overuse the land.

Page Title:Fertilizer
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:18 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=0, Con=10, Let=2
No. of Quotes:15