SB 01.10.05 nadyah samudra girayah... cited

Expressions researched:
"kamam anvrtu tasya vai" |"nadyah samudra girayah" |"phalanty osadhayah sarvah" |"savanaspati-virudhah"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.10.5, Translation and Purport:

The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs, in every season, paid their tax quota to the King in profusion.

Since Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was under the protection of the ajita, the infallible Lord, as above mentioned, the properties of the Lord, namely the rivers, oceans, hills, forests, etc., were all pleased, and they used to supply their respective quota of taxes to the King. The secret to success is to take refuge under the protection of the Supreme Lord. Without His sanction, nothing can be possible. To make economic development by our own endeavors on the strength of tools and machinery is not all. The sanction of the Supreme Lord must be there, otherwise despite all instrumental arrangements everything will be unsuccessful. The ultimate cause of success is the daiva, the Supreme. Kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira knew perfectly well that the king is the agent of the Supreme Lord to look after the welfare of the mass of people. Actually the state belongs to the Supreme Lord. The rivers, oceans, forests, hills, drugs, etc., are not creations of man. They are all creations of the Supreme Lord, and the living being is allowed to make use of the property of the Lord for the service of the Lord. Today's slogan is that everything is for the people, and therefore the government is for the people and by the people. But to produce a new species of humanity at the present moment on the basis of philosophy and religion, justice and peace, God consciousness and the perfection of human life—in short, the ideology of godly communism—the world has to again follow in the footsteps of kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Parīkṣit. There is enough of everything by the will of the Lord, and we can make proper use of things to live comfortably without enmity between man and man, or man and animal, or man and nature. The control of the Lord is everywhere, and if the Lord is pleased, every part of nature will be pleased. The river will flow profusely to fertilize the land; the oceans will supply sufficient quantities of minerals, pearls and jewels; the forest will supply sufficient wood, drugs and vegetables, and the seasonal changes will effectively help produce fruits and flowers in profuse quantity. The artificial way of living depending on factories and tools can render so-called happiness only to a limited number at the cost of millions. Since the energy of the mass of people is engaged in factory production, the natural products are being hampered, and for this the mass is unhappy. Without being educated properly, the mass of people are following in the footsteps of the vested interests by exploiting natural reserves, and therefore there is acute competition between individual and individual and nation and nation. There is no control by the trained agent of the Lord. We must look into the defects of modern civilization by comparison here, and should follow in the footsteps of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to cleanse man and wipe out anachronisms.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.

nadyaḥ samudrā girayaḥ

savanaspati-vīrudhaḥ

phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ

kāmam anvṛtu tasya vai

(SB 1.10.5)

"The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forests, creepers and active drugs, in every season, paid their tax quota to the King in profusion."

Prabhupāda: So everything in nature has to give something. That is the order. Everything that we see, nadyaḥ, the river... Why God has created the river? It has got a function. Similarly samudrāḥ, the oceans, similarly the hills, mountains, girayaḥ, savanaspati, vegetables. All these vegetables which are growing, each and every vegetable, creeper, has some service, we do not know. Because we do not know the use of these vegetables, creepers, we go to the doctor, physician. Otherwise, if somebody is ill, the medicine is there. We do not know how to utilize it. Still in remote villages, in forest, they do not come to the physician, doctors. The bils, the aborigines, they know so many drugs. For toothache, we go to the dentist and they extract the teeth, but I have read in Ayurvedic medicine, there is a drug, a root. Only if you touch this side of the mouth, all the germs collected within the teeth will come out. I have seen it. Sometimes in the year 1931 or '32 I had a very severe tooth pain. So I was taken by my servant in the jungle to some, this vaidya. They cured me, and the dentist could not. I attended so many times to the dentist. I have got my practical experience. And in the Ayurvedic literature there is mention some drug, the root only if you touch here, the germs collected in the teeth, they will come out in the corner of the teeth some germs—sometimes it is itching; there is all germs—so they will come out. Sometimes pains in the toe. All they are germs. The germ theory is all right, but they want to cure these germs in different way. But by nature's way there are so many drugs and roots and creepers that can cure all the diseases.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Pradyumna: (leads synonyms, etc.) Translation: "The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forest, creepers and active drugs in every season paid their tax quota to the king in profusion." (SB 1.10.5)

Prabhupāda: Yesterday we discussed, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Sarva-dughā mahī. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. This land, mahī, can give you everything. Actually it is giving. We cannot manufacture anything. The land is there. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). These are the gifts of Kṛṣṇa. These are the ingredients. In this material world, whatever you see, they are preparation of these five gross ingredients. Nothing more. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham. Land, water, bhūmir āpaḥ anala, fire, vāyuḥ, air, and kham means the sky, ether. This is the ingredients of all material civilization, grossly. And subtle: mano buddhir ahaṅkāra, mind, intelligence, and egotism. These are the eight gross and subtle elements. Now, by the mixture of these things, we find so many things.

Now, how the bhūmi or the land, gives us sufficient supply? Therefore there is arrangement of the river, nadī, nadyaḥ. And the stock of water is there in the ocean. It is practical. Just like you keep some stock of water according to your measurement. The stock of water is the ocean, because we require so much water. In India it is said that "You are spending like water." India is tropical country. They use profusely water. There are many rivers also.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So here you have to understand that the rivers, the ocean, the mountains, and the trees, and the creepers, they will all serve you very, I mean to say, regularly, provided you are obedient to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Phalanty oṣadhayaḥ. Nowadays we do not know. As soon as we become sick we go to the doctor or to the drug shop. But in the forest all the medicines are there. All the medicines are there. Simply you have to know which plant is the medicine for what kind of disease. Phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ, and kāmam anvṛtu tasya vai. And according to seasonal changes you'll get fruits, flowers and drugs and everything. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time all these things were being supplied by nature because Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was Kṛṣṇa conscious, and he maintained his kingdom, all the citizens, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even at the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, so he condemned Kali. He was going to kill Kali because he was trying to kill a cow in the kingdom of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he surrendered, "Sir, I am also your subject. This is my business, to act sinfully. So you give me protection. Because you are king, you have to give protection to everyone." So, of course king has to give. So King Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You have to go out." But he said that "Where is your kingdom? Where is that place where there is no kingdom, where is no supremacy of your majesty? Where shall I go?" So he gave him these four places: illicit sex and intoxication and meat-eating and gambling. "Where these four things are going on, you go there." That is the place of Kali.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So the Kali had to face so many difficulties to find out such place, because there was no place where illicit sex was going on, there was no place where unnecessarily animals are killed, there was no place where wines and intoxication used. So Kali found it difficult where to go. At the present moment we say the Kali-yuga is strong because everywhere you'll find these four sinful activities. Everywhere. That has become part and parcel of modern civilization. But up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, these sinful activities, nobody could trace out where it is. Therefore every nature's resources were supplied. Because after all, supply is being made by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of material nature. Material nature is not independent. Independent. Therefore we find... In your country there is no mango. Mango is supposed to be the king of all fruits. So in India there is sufficient supply. But in some year there is so much supply, enormous, and some year there is no supply. Similarly, grains also; in some year there is sufficient supply, and some year there is no... There is scarcity, famine. Then after all, you will have to depend on nature. You cannot produce in your factory these things which are received through these phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ. That depends on nature's gift. And the nature is working not independently. Nature is working by the order of Kṛṣṇa.