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Anna means food grains. So annad bhavanti bhutani (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of food grains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants

Expressions researched:
"Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of food grains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In Sanskrit language it is called anna. Anna means food grains. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of food grains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants.

Prabhupāda: Ah, bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād. Anna means food grains. Either animal or man, they must eat sufficiently. Either you eat grass or you eat rice or wheat or oats, or . . . something must be. So they are called anna. In Sanskrit language it is called anna. Anna means food grains. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of food grains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants. They were supplied very nice cāpāṭis. Do you know that? Still there are kings, they have elephants. Therefore elephant can be maintained by very rich man. If suppose, if somebody comes, he says: "Take this elephant. I give you free," will you take? Will you accept? (laughs) You know that elephant will devour you, your all your means of income, all family income, because . . . you cannot maintain elephant. (laughs)

Therefore in India sometimes, when, a hundred years ago, some students would come in England, especially London, and make a European, English wife . . . in old days they are doing that. So people would say that, "This man is maintaining one white elephant." Because a European wife means very much expenditure. (laughter) So one Mr. P. R. Das, he was high-court judge, so he was taking bribe on account of maintaining white elephant. He married one European wife. The expenditure very high. In those days for Indian it was a fashion to get a European wife. So this man married one European wife, and his expenditures was very, very heavy. So high-court judge, he was getting only four thousand rupees, and his expenditure was ten thousand rupees, and therefore he was taking bribe. He admitted. So when he was detected by the chief justice, he was dismissed from the post. But this is the position. You should not expend more than your income.

So kāmam . . . yes, what is that? Annād, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhūtāni means embodied, those who have taken, accepted, the living entities. They live by eating anna, either animal or human being. You require anna. Produce food grains. Food grains or grass or anything, as the animals eat and man eat, you must produce. And that production is there on the ground, not your factory. Not in the Birmingham factories. There are many factories in Birmingham? You cannot produce food grains there. Therefore it is said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Then, next?

Pradyumna: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ.

Prabhupāda: And parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanya means if there is water fall, rainfall, then you can produce anna. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. One after another. You require food grains, and for producing food grains, you require sufficient rainfall. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Then?

Pradyumna: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And the the rain supply be regular if you perform sacrifice. Therefore, what is that next?

Pradyumna: Yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Yajña, karma. karma means, according to the varṇāśrama, brāhmaṇa should work according to his own position. They will chant Vedic mantra. That is also one karma, activity. They must understand what is Vedas; they must explain. That is brāhmaṇa's business. And kṣatriya's business, karma . . . this is called kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. By nature, one has got a particular type of work. So yajñaḥ karma-sambhavaḥ, what is that?

Pradyumna: Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Ah, karma-samudbhavaḥ. If everyone is doing his duty nicely as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya or as a śūdra, then no . . . there is no question of that you are big, I am . . . everyone has to do his work according to his capacity. Just like in ordinary life also, we do not see that everyone is able to do everything. No.

There are certain class of men. If you want some help for repairing your electric wiring, you must call for a electrician, not a carpenter. But when you want to repair a door, you require a carpenter. That is Vedic division. Therefore there was caste system. Everyone . . . I have seen in India still—in you country also you'll find—the potters, during Diwali season, they make small dolls. So I have seen the potter's house. The children, five or ten years old, they are also making small dolls. Small dolls. Because by tradition, by family, the father is making doll, the mother is making doll, and the children also learning. Similarly, the weaver, you will find. You supply the . . . still there are this system. You supply. Gandhi wanted to introduce this system. You produce your thread and give to the weaver, and weaver will give you cloth.

Page Title:Anna means food grains. So annad bhavanti bhutani (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of food grains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-11, 05:39:49
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1