The complete whole, Personality of Godhead, has immense potencies (parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). How Kṛṣṇa is acting in different potencies is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā. This phenomenal world or material world in which we are placed is also complete in itself because the twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, according to Sāṅkhya philosophy, are completely adjusted to produce complete resources which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. There is nothing extraneous, nor is there anything needed. This manifestation has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete. There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living entities, to realize the complete, and all sorts of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the complete. So Bhagavad-gītā contains the complete knowledge of Vedic wisdom.
Subsistence
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Preface and Introduction
BG Chapters 1 - 6
He has now decided to go into the forest and live a secluded life in frustration. But as a kṣatriya, he requires a kingdom for his subsistence, because the kṣatriyas cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has no kingdom. Arjuna's sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lies in fighting with his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father, which he does not like to do.
Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary violence, although fighting is the duty of the kṣatriyas, or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them.
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
There is no need to live a degraded life and subsist on the charity of those whom you tried to kill by arson and poisoning. You also insulted one of their wives and usurped their kingdom and wealth.
Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.
A systematic law of subsistence in the struggle for existence is there by the supreme will, and there is no escape for anyone by any amount of planning. The living beings who have come to the material world against the will of the Supreme Being are under the control of a supreme power called māyā-śakti, the deputed agent of the Lord, and this daivī māyā is meant to pinch the conditioned souls by threefold miseries, one of which is explained here in this verse: the weak are the subsistence of the strong. No one is strong enough to protect himself from the onslaught of a stronger, and by the will of the Lord there are systematic categories of the weak, the stronger and the strongest.
There is nothing to be lamented if a tiger eats a weaker animal, including a man, because that is the law of the Supreme Lord. But although the law states that a human being must subsist on another living being, there is the law of good sense also, for the human being is meant to obey the laws of the scriptures. This is impossible for other animals.
The living being is the source of subsistence for other, stronger living beings. No one should be very anxious for his subsistence in any circumstances because there are living beings everywhere, and no living being starves for want of food at any place. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is advised by Nārada not to worry about his uncles' suffering for want of food, for they could live on vegetables available in the jungles as prasāda of the Supreme Lord and thus realize the path of salvation.
The next symptom of the age of Kali is the distressed condition of the cow. Milking the cow means drawing the principles of religion in a liquid form. The great ṛṣis and munis would live only on milk. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī would go to a householder while he was milking a cow, and he would simply take a little quantity of it for subsistence. Even fifty years ago, no one would deprive a sādhu of a quart or two of milk, and every householder would give milk like water. For a Sanātanist (a follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles.
By the law of the Supreme Lord, all living beings, in whatever shape they may be, are the sons of the Lord, and no one has any right to kill another animal, unless it is so ordered by the codes of natural law. The tiger can kill a lower animal for his subsistence, but a man cannot kill an animal for his subsistence. That is the law of God, who has created the law that a living being subsists by eating another living being. Thus the vegetarians are also living by eating other living beings. Therefore, the law is that one should live only by eating specific living beings, as ordained by the law of God. The Īśopaniṣad directs that one should live by the direction of the Lord and not at one's sweet will. A man can subsist on varieties of grains, fruits and milk ordained by God, and there is no need of animal food, save and except in particular cases.
Saints and sages in the renounced order of life go to the houses of the householders at the time they milk the cows, early in the morning, and ask some quantity of milk for subsistence. A pound of milk fresh from the milk bag of a cow is sufficient to feed an adult with all vitamin values, and therefore saints and sages live only on milk.
SB Canto 2
Such manufacturing enterprises by human society are in the mode of darkness because factually there is no necessity for the commodities manufactured. Human society primarily requires food for subsistence, shelter for sleeping, defense for protection, and commodities for satisfaction of the senses. The senses are the practical signs of life, as will be explained in the next verse.
SB Canto 3
Because of their poor fund of knowledge, the materialists are disturbed when there is an apparent increase of population on the earth. Whenever there is a living being on the earth, however, his subsistence is immediately arranged by the Lord. The other species of living entities, who far outnumber human society, are never disturbed for maintenance; they are never seen dying of starvation. It is only human society that is disturbed about the food situation and, to cover up the real fact of administrative mismanagement, takes shelter in the plea that the population is excessively increasing.
All the immovable trees and plants seek their subsistence upwards. They are almost unconscious but have feelings of pain within. They are manifested in variegatedness.
You are the father of all living entities and the source of their subsistence because they are all born of you. Please order us how we may be able to render service unto you.
According to Bhagavad-gītā, the sum total of the twenty-four elements described herein is called the yonir mahad brahma. The sum total of the living entities is impregnated into this yonir mahad brahma, and they are born in different forms, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures, the sum total of the twenty-four elements, pradhāna, is also described as yonir mahad brahma; it is the source of the birth and subsistence of all living entities.
SB Canto 4
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties." (BG 3.14)
My dear Vidura, chief of the Kurus, in this way King Pṛthu and all the others who subsist on food created different types of calves and milked out their respective eatables. Thus they received their various foodstuffs, which were symbolized as milk.
To all the citizens of the state, King Pṛthu was as good as a father. Thus he was visibly engaged in giving them proper subsistence and proper employment for subsistence. After leveling the surface of the globe, he earmarked different places for residential quarters, inasmuch as they were desirable.
In this way the economic problem of humanity can be solved. At the present moment there are many vacant lands throughout the world, and if they are properly utilized, there will be no scarcity of food. As far as rain is concerned, it is the performance of yajña that attracts rain. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.14):
- annād bhavanti bhūtāni
- parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
- yajñād bhavati parjanyo
- yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties." By performing sacrifice, man will have sufficient rainfall and crops.
SB Canto 5
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties." These are the prescriptions given in Bhagavad-gītā (3.14). If people follow these principles in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, human society will be prosperous, and they will be happy both in this life and in the next.
SB Canto 7
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña (sacrifice), and yajña is born of prescribed duties." (BG 3.14) When food grains are sufficiently produced, both animals and human beings can be nourished without difficulty for their maintenance. This is nature's arrangement. prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇa-ni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is acting under the influence of material nature, and only fools think they can improve upon what God has created.
SB Canto 8
In the bright fortnight of the month of Phālguna (February and March), for twelve days ending with Dvādaśī, one should observe the vow of subsisting only on milk and should worship the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead with all devotion.
One should also offer a flame, incense and so on, while ringing a bell, as prescribed. This is called worship of the Lord. Here it is recommended that one observe the vow of subsisting only by drinking milk. This is called payo-vrata. As we generally perform devotional service on Ekādaśī by not eating grains, it is generally recommended that on Dvādaśī one not consume anything but milk.
To receive the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, King Satyavrata engaged in the austerity of subsisting only by drinking water. Once, while performing this austerity on the bank of the Kṛtamālā River and offering oblations of water with the palm of his hand, he found a small fish. The fish appealed to the King for protection, asking the King to keep Him in a safe place.
During the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara there was a great king named Satyavrata who was a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Satyavrata performed austerities by subsisting only on water.
SB Canto 9
During that sacrifice, Śraddhā, Manu's wife, who was observing the vow of subsisting only by drinking milk, approached the priest offering the sacrifice, offered obeisances to him and begged for a daughter.
"Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another." (SB 1.13.47) The Supreme Personality of Godhead has created the material world in such a way that one living entity is food for another.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
One in the vānaprastha order of life should always practice taking charity from others, for one is thereby freed from illusion and quickly becomes perfect in spiritual life. Indeed, one who subsists on food grains obtained in such a humble manner purifies his existence.
If there is any time remaining in my life, I will perform austerities and force my body to subsist on the bare necessities. Without further confusion I shall pursue that which constitutes my entire self-interest in life, and I shall remain satisfied within the self.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
From that Brahman energy the creation appears, just as a cloud appears in sunshine. From the cloud comes rain, from the rain comes vegetation, and from the vegetation come fruits and flowers, which are the basis of subsistence for many other forms of life. Similarly, the effulgent bodily luster of the Supreme Lord is the cause of the creation of infinite universes.
Śrīdhara was a poor brāhmaṇa who made a living by selling banana-tree bark to be made into cups. Most probably he had a banana-tree garden and collected the leaves, skin and pulp of the banana trees to sell daily in the market. He spent fifty percent of his income to worship the Ganges, and the balance he used for his subsistence. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started His civil disobedience movement in defiance of the Kazi, Śrīdhara danced in jubilation. The Lord used to drink water from his water jug.
CC Madhya-lila
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya that according to the injunction of the Upaniṣads ("the Supreme Absolute Truth is He from whom everything emanates"), it is understood that the whole cosmic manifestation emanated from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. The creation subsists by the energy of the Supreme Brahman and, after annihilation, merges into the Supreme Brahman.
CC Antya-lila
"Topics about Kṛṣṇa are so powerful that they destroy the four religious principles—religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Anyone who drinks even a small drop of kṛṣṇa-kathā through aural reception is freed from all material attachment and envy. Like a bird with no means of subsistence, such a person becomes a mendicant and lives by begging. Ordinary household affairs become miserable for him, and without attachment he suddenly gives up everything. Although such renunciation is quite suitable, because I am a woman I am unable to adopt it."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
After enjoying fully amongst themselves, the queens and Lord Kṛṣṇa would come out of the water, and they would give up their wet garments, which were very valuable, to be taken away by the professional singers and dancers. These singers and dancers had no means of subsistence other than the rewards of valuable garments and ornaments left by the queens and kings on such occasions. The whole system of society was so well planned that all the members of society in their different positions as brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras had no difficulty in earning their livelihood. There was no competition among the divisions of society.
Light of the Bhagavata
The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to remain at home, satisfied with his agricultural produce. When the farmers are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on agriculture and subsist on agricultural produce.
Sri Isopanisad
The Complete Whole, the Personality of Godhead, has immense potencies, all of which are as complete as He is. Thus this phenomenal world is also complete in itself. The twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation are arranged to produce everything necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No other unit in the universe need make an extraneous effort to try to maintain the universe. The universe functions on its own time scale, which is fixed by the energy of the Complete Whole, and when that schedule is completed, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the Complete Whole.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The 24 elements of which, according to Sāṅkhya philosophy, the 24 elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, are completely adjusted to produce complete things which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No extraneous effort by any other unit is required for the maintenance of the universe. It's at its own time, fixed up by the energy of the complete whole, and when the time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete.
That is the history of the world. Even from that history point of view, this very world in which we are standing, this very platform, this will also be vanquished. That is the law of this material nature. Nothing will subsist. Nothing will continue. Everything will be finished. Just like our, this body will be finished. Now I have got this beautiful body. Suppose seventy years, my age, seventy years before, the body had no existence, and, say, after five or ten years more the body will have no existence, so for seventy or eighty years this manifestation of the body...
Now, iṣṭān bhogān, whatever you have got for your subsistence, you should know it is given by God. Now, say for example these grains. The grains, they are given to you by God for eating. You cannot manufacture grain in your factory. You have manufactured or set up so many factories for manufacturing tools, machinery, motor cars, and so many other things for your comfort.
One of them is worthless, is doing nothing. And if the other son says, "My dear father, this son, your youngest son, or this son, is worthless. He is doing nothing. Let us kill him," will your father agree? Because he is worthless, will your father agree? No, he will say, "No, no, no. You have nothing to do. He is not harming you. He is eating my, my subsistence. I am paying for his subsistence. Why you should kill him?" So similarly, in this material nature, all these living entities in different forms, they have come for material enjoyment and everything is being supplied by the Supreme Lord. We have no right to kill them. We have no right. According to God's law, if one is conscious... The same thing: Just like the father will never agree to kill a worthless child by the competent boy... No.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fourteen: "All living bodies subsist on food grains. Food grains are produced from rains. Rains come from performance of sacrifice and sacrifice is born of man's work (BG 3.14)."
Prabhupāda: This is a cycle. Cycle. We are living on food grains. We cannot live on meat-eating. It is not possible. However a great meat-eater may be he must have some grains some vegetables. That is his life. Yes. Therefore grains, vegetables, they are actually our food. Now, I am living and getting energy by eating grains and vegetables and how my energy should be utilized? It should be utilized for the purpose from where I am getting energy. I am getting energy from the Supreme Lord by supply of this foodstuff; therefore my energy should be utilized for the service of the Supreme Lord.
I think, Carl, you were reading from the Bhagavad-gītā about Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's reign, during his kingdom how rainfall was regular, and the necessities of human being were being produced. So here is the same thing. Annāt. Anna, the grains. Grains are our life's subsistence, human being. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. And grains are produced by regular rainfall. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanya means rainfall.
You subsist by eating grains. Of course, nowadays we have invented so many artificial foodstuff. But however artificially foodstuff, however flesh and other things we may take, without grains we cannot live. The grains must be there. The wheat and the rice and the paddy and the cereals, there must be there. So real foodstuff is anna. Anna means this grain. So by eating grains we subsist. Our life prolongs by eating grains. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And grains are produced by proper rainfall. Rainfall is the main source of producing everything of our necessities of life. Without rainfall we cannot produce anything of the necessities of life.
Take for example those who are vegetarians. They may think that "We are not killing animals." No. They are also committing sins because vegetables, they have also got life. So the nature's law is that to keep up your body you have to kill another body. Never mind it is vegetable or, I mean to say, animal or some fish or something else. You see? Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: "One living entity is the subsistence, life-giving subsistence, for another living being." That is the nature's law. You'll find. Ahastāni sahastānām. The everything has been very nicely discussed in Vedic literature. They have discussed all the points.
The father, the parents, they serve the child from the beginning of his birth. Therefore this concept of Nanda-Yaśodā or Devakī and Vasudeva is very sublime. They... Kṛṣṇa... Yaśodā, mother, she is thinking that "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa sumptuously, He will die." She is thinking that Kṛṣṇa... She forgets that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is subsisting the three world, everywhere. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That only one God is supplying the necessities of all other living entities. Now this, that same, very same Personality of Godhead has become the son of Yaśodā, and she is thinking that "If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa nicely, He will die." This is love. This is love.
Why not give something? Is it love, simply going on taking, taking, taking, and no offering? We are taking from Kṛṣṇa so much light. We are taking from Kṛṣṇa so much air, so much water. So many things Kṛṣṇa is supplying for our subsistence, fruits, grains. Without supplied by Kṛṣṇa, you cannot have. You cannot manufacture all these things. So you must admit that God is supplying us so many things. And why not offer something? Is it love? Therefore offering is required. Love means you take and you give also.
So long we shall go on utilizing God's property illegally and encroach upon others', I mean to say, possession, then there cannot be any peace. If you want peace at all, then you have to accept that "Everything belongs to God and I can use after offering Him: 'Accepting that this belongs to You, God, kindly... You have sent me all these things for my subsistence. Oh, it is Your thing. Kindly You first of all taste it. Then I shall take Your prasādam.' " This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord is supplying you everything. He will not eat whatever is given to you. It is for you. Simply just acknowledge. Just acknowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
It doesn't matter whether Christian religion, Hindu religion, or Buddha religion, and this religion. It doesn't matter. He must have some religion. Then he is human being. And religion means... Generally, they understand that "If I become religious, pious, then my life will be nice. I'll get my subsistence." Actually, that's fact. Dharma artha. And why do we want artha, money? Kāma, for sense gratification. We require money for sense gratification. And when we are baffled in sense gratification, then we want mokṣa. When one cannot get sufficiently by trying dharma, artha, kāma, economic development and sense gratification, still we are dissatisfied, then sometimes we give up this world: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is mithyā, false."
Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see.
One thing there will be no rain, scarcity of rain. And naturally there will be scarcity of... Durbhikṣa. Durbhikṣa means you will not be able to get anything by begging also. Bhikṣa, bhikṣa means if I have no subsistence, I have no means to eat, I go to... (break) Even if I beg, I become a beggar, there will be no supplies. Especially these things will be no supply: rice, wheat, sugar, and other things, there are mentioned.
But because we have uncontrolled senses, instead of eating the grains, we are eating the animals. So this is called adānta-gobhiḥ. We do not consider that "The life which I am killing for my subsistence, it is eating grain, and I can also eat grain. So why shall I commit this sinful life by killing another living being?" So you cannot do that. You are not allowed to kill even an ant.
Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti. We require so many things but who is supplying? Supplying, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the small ant, and Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the big elephant. Unless Kṛṣṇa supplies there is no food. If Kṛṣṇa does not supply, if there is no production for your subsistence, then how you will live?
So as soon as you become servant of Kṛṣṇa you get full satisfaction. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ means you will understand that "I have a master who is so full, who is so complete, who is so competent, who is so faithful, and who is so nice, there is no injustice." Therefore, those who are mendicants, they are so much confident that "Kṛṣṇa will provide for my subsistence. Kṛṣṇa will..." Abhayam. Therefore they are not fearful. Abhayaṁ sattva-samśuddhiḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that one has to attain to that stage—no fearfulness. Fearfulness is due to our absorption in the material consciousness.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
And the bees who collect honey from flower—a drop from this flower, a drop from that flower, a drop from that flower—in this way, he subsists. So this mādhukarī system means a renounced order of sannyāsī or a vairāgī, he should not accept in one place sumptuously. He should go to every householder and take a bit of capātī from this house, a bit of capātī from that house, a bit of capātī from that house, so that the householders also may not be disturbed and they may be benefited.
Narottama dāsa says, "By... Their dust of lotus feet is my subsistence." So today Sanātana Gosvāmī's birthday? Disappearance. Disappearance and appearance the same. His disappearance here, appearance somewhere. Just like sunset somewhere is immediately, sunset and sunrise, simultaneously.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Yogeśvara: They made some... Afterwards they had to... There was some discussion, some philosophy. They were actually discussing. And there was one person there who was explaining to the others that "We must eat this flesh to stay alive but it's not so wrong since the soul has left the body." He said, "The spirit has left these bodies, so you shouldn't consider it to be quite so bad. We're obliged to do this."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is not unreasonable. It was a question of selection. Otherwise, to subsist, to eat the dead bodies, flesh, that is not very abominable. That can be accepted. But it is the selection whether one will eat. That is another thing. Otherwise dead body's flesh is as good as anything else because it is matter.
Yogeśvara: So who is coming?
Guru-gaurāṅga: There is one more meeting today.
Prabhupāda: Where?
Guru-gaurāṅga: There is the European Center for Nuclear Research.
Prabhupāda: That's all. That is the business of gardener, servant, not creator. That is the business of the servant. Just like I keep a gardener servant, and "Do like this. Do like that." That is not he is creator. It is my money which has created. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa's, everything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you have not created anything. You are servant. You are working, and Kṛṣṇa is giving you your subsistence. That's all. So why don't you accept that you are servant of God instead of claiming that you have created. What you have created? This is our challenge. Am I right or wrong?
Cāru:
- annād bhavanti bhūtāni
- parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
- yajñād bhavati parjanyo
- yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
- (BG 3.14)
"Translation: All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by the performance of yajña, sacrifice, and yajña is born of prescribed duties."
Prabhupāda: This is the cycle, that we should produce immense food grain both for the animals and for men. And there should be cooperation. Just like the cow and bull. The bull helps plowing. That is the original system. Now they have invented tractors, what is called? Tractor?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bernard Manischewitz: This is on experience, on the experience that they have.
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is experience. You will find many healthy persons in India subsisting only on these foodstuffs, and they have good brain also. India is still, I think, eighty percent people are strictly vegetarian. Not to speak of the higher class, but the lower class also. The higher class, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya. Vaiśya is via media, between higher and lower. And the śūdras and less that the śūdras, caṇḍālas, they are lower class.
Jayatīrtha: That's not true.
Prabhupāda: And the bare necessities should be paid.
Jayatīrtha: Right. Well, generally we have about seventeen, eighteen gṛhasthas employed in Los Angeles, and they get much smaller salary, and they, for the most part, they're giving everything over subsistence to the temple as donation. They take out minimum subsistence...
Prabhupāda: But Karandhara is not giving anything.
Jayatīrtha: Well, his point is... As you know, he made that unauthorized loan from BBT when he left, for five thousand dollars. And he has to pay it back at three hundred dollars per month. So after he makes...
Australian devotee 1: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the weaker are the subsistence of the strong. So therefore human beings, they feel justified...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the... but where is the human consciousness? A tiger cannot understand this. He will kill a lower animal. But you are not animal; you are man. You should have this discrimination, that "If I can live otherwise very nicely, why shall I kill animal?" That is humanity.
Devotee (1): They have no faith or trust that this can be done.
Prabhupāda: See us. You rascal, see, open your eyes, see that we have no business. We have no food stocked; still, we are not worried. We do not know what we shall eat in the evening, but still, we are not worried. See factually. We are not worried, "Oh, what shall I eat?" I came here without any subsistence. That I mean I had to work very hard?
Kuruśreṣṭha: I think that if the karmīs tried to keep up with you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they would probably wear out.
Prabhupāda: The karmīs, they work hard because they are asses. The ass example is given. Just like the picture you have seen, ass?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guru-kṛpā: Sanātana Gosvāmī also?
Prabhupāda: Yes. But for a renounced order of life, the order is you must beg, bhikṣā. Not much. If I can subsist by taking one cāpāṭi, I'll simply ask for one cāpāṭi, not for two cāpāṭis. That is śāstra. If you can without any cāpāṭi, that is very good. But you can ask as much as you require. Not to eat sumptuously and sleep twenty-four hours, no.
Devotee: And what about householders?
Prabhupāda: Householder can eat the whole world and sleep. (laughter) Because he is householder, he has got the concession. Everyone should do that. Householders are unable; that is their incapability. "Because I am householder, I have got the facility to have sex as many times and eat as much..." That is not householder. That is gṛhamedhī.
Prabhupāda: So food problem can be solved simply by accepting.... That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). How everyone can.... Find out.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of prescribed duties."
Prabhupāda: So if you produce enough food grains, both the man and the animal will live very peacefully. Food grains. And I've seen in your country, in America, in Africa, in Australia, so much vacant land without producing food grains. So men are not engaged to produce food grains, but they are brought in Detroit to manufacture of wheels of motorcar.
Prabhupāda: Friday, that is also. Harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Everyone is happy, the children, the woman. They don't demand anything, that "Give us this, give us that." They have simplified, automatically they have simplified their life. And gradually develop, make little cottages, grow little vegetable, little barley or wheat and milk. That is sufficient. We don't require much. We don't want luxury. We want just to subsist. Yavad artha prayojana. We hate the idea of luxury, unnecessary. Do the outsider come to see? Yes?
Prabhupāda: Yes, the outside. So all philosophers, all scientists, all politicians, let us combine together. The formula is there. Read it.
Hari-śauri:
- annād bhavanti bhūtāni
- parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
- yajñād bhavati parjanyo
- yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
- (BG 3.14)
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña, sacrifice, and yajña is born of prescribed duties."
Prabhupāda: That's it. There is no prescribed duties. Everyone is a butcher. Formerly there was distinction, "Here is a butcher; here is a religious man." At the present moment everyone is a butcher. Who is religious man? There was division, at least one class, first-class man, second-class man, third-class man. Then, if there is ideal first-class man, even the fourth-class, third man, he'll take the idea, "Oh, here is first-class." But there is no first-class man. All fourth-class men. So who will give idea? And they want to remain fourth-class. If you say that "You become first-class," they will laugh. "What is the use of becoming first-class?" First-class means, find out, śamo damas titikṣā, then, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam.
Jagadīśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what did you want? You asked me to do something...
Prabhupāda: I want the light on the veranda.
Jagadīśa: It's on.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So I shall begin again kitri. (Hindi) (break) ...take agriculture, you must keep cows. Both of them are related.
Girirāja: Together.
Prabhupāda: The cow will be subsisting on the grass, and refused things he'll take. And the substance you take. And even if does not give milk, the stool is useful. And you get food grown by the cows and bulls and milk. You subsist. So by mutual cooperation you subsist. You save time. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you are bothered?
Girirāja: No bother.
Prabhupāda: This I want to introduce. And it has become successful in the Western countries. They are doing very nicely, New Vrindaban. Very nice. And Philadelphia, New Orleans. Men, they're happy. So why not in India? India is mainly agricultural country. On this principle you can take. There is no objection. I left Haṁsadūta in charge, but he left everything.
Haṁsadūta: I liked it.
Prabhupāda: Who is it?
Adri-dharaṇa: It's Haṁsadūta Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (pause) Most places you beg from the local place and subsist, otherwise purchase.
Jayapatāka: You are very famous, Śrīla Prabhupāda, wherever you go there will be crowds of people to have your darśana.
Prabhupāda: So they will see me, I have no objection. I want little milk from them, that's all. (pause) So far my presence is required (for) management, I think I have bequeathed, properly you can manage. Hm. It is to be admitted failure, the so-called medical treatment, failure.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Our propaganda is different, to make people Krishna Conscious, which automatically makes them sympathetic against any kind of animal slaughter. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one living entity subsists on the life of other living entities, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. But we are neither of them. We are not vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. We are transcendental. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam. Try to popularize Krishna Prasadam as you have already done.
1969 Correspondence
So actually there is no material advancement here. Here, I am seeing practically that Gaurasundara, such a nice intelligent and qualified boy, he has to work hard 12 hours simply for his subsistence. I think there are many instances like that, so this is not material advancement. You can call it capitalist advancement, and the reaction for such advancement is communism. Such movement is simply suppressed in your country, but actually the reaction is this.
1970 Correspondence
The Temple here is also well managed. Every day they are going to perform Sankirtana on the streets, twice, and, on the average, they are collecting not less than $200 daily. So, our only means of subsistence is Krishna's grace and all our needs are fulfilled by the Lord. I am getting reports from all other centers that all of them are selling Back to Godhead everyday from 50 to 400 copies per day, according to the importance of the local situation.
1975 Correspondence
After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice" Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu.
| Page Title: | Subsistence |
| Compiler: | Rishab, JayaNitaiGaura |
| Created: | 22 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=4, SB=27, CC=4, OB=3, Lec=19, Con=13, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 74 |