Path of Selfless Service
Verse 3.14
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः। यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः।।3.14।।
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
Word Meanings
annāt—from food; bhavanti—subsist; bhūtāni—living beings; parjanyāt—from rains; anna—of food grains; sambhavaḥ—production; yajñāt—from the performance of sacrifice; bhavati—becomes possible; parjanyaḥ—rain; yajñaḥ—performance of sacrifice; karma—prescribed duties; samudbhavaḥ—born of
Translation · English
From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound verse, Krishna delineates the cosmic cycle of interdependence, known as the 'Yajna-chakra.' He explains that existence is not a collection of isolated entities, but a vast, interconnected web sustained by reciprocal sacrifice. Just as food sustains physical bodies and rain produces food, the cosmic order itself is maintained by yajna, or the selfless offering of one's actions. This is not merely a description of the hydrological cycle; it is a spiritual truth about the Law of Karma—every action ripples through the universe, and when actions are performed as offerings to the Divine, they sustain the very structure of reality.
Life is a sacred cycle of interdependence where selfless action acts as the fundamental bridge between the individual soul and the cosmic order.
Connected Verses
Expands on the concept of 'Brahmarpanam,' where the entire act of offering is recognized as Brahman itself.
Highlights the consequence of failing to participate in this cosmic cycle, calling it a wasted, sinful existence.
Provides the essential precursor, explaining that eating food offered in sacrifice purifies the seeker from all impurities.
Explicitly emphasizes how humans and the Divine mutually nourish each other through the spirit of sacrifice.
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