BhG 3.14

annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-saṃbhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

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syntax


bhūtāni (creatures) annāt (from food) bhavanti (they exist),
parjanyāt (from rain) anna-sambhavaḥ (production of food) [asti] (it is),
parjanyaḥ (rain) yajñāt (from sacrifice) bhavati (it exists),
yajñaḥ (sacrifice) karma-samudbhavaḥ (that which comes from activity) [asti] (it is).

 

grammar

annāt anna (ad – to eat) PP 5n.1 n.from food;
bhavanti bhū (to be) Praes. P 1v.3they exist;
bhūtāni bhūta (bhū – to be) PP 1n.3 n.beings, creatures;
parjanyāt parjanya 5n.1 m.from raincloud, from rain, from the god of rain (from: pṛc – to mix);
anna-saṁbhavaḥ anna-saṁbhava 1n.1 m.; TP: annasya saṁbhava itiproduction of food (from: ad – to eat, PP anna – food; sam-bhū – to come together, to be born, saṁbhava – production);
yajñāt yajña 5n.1 m.from sacrifice, from worship (from: yaj – to consecrate, to sacrifice, to worship);
bhavati bhū (to be) Praes. P 1v.1it exists;
parjanyaḥ parjanya 1n.1 m.raincloud, rain, the god of rain (from: pṛc – to mix);
yajñaḥ yajña 1n.1 m. sacrifice, worship (from: yaj – to consecrate, to sacrifice, to worship);
karma-samudbhavaḥ karma-samudbhava 1n.1 m.; BV: yasya karmaṇaḥ samudbhavo ‘sti saḥ that which comes from activity (from: kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; sam-ud-bhū – to spring up from, to produce, samudbhava – springing from, production);

 

textual variants


yajñād → dharmād (from the law);
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ → yajña-karma-samudbhavaḥ (that which comes from sacrificial activity);

 
 



Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

The wheel of the world should be set going. For the following reason also should action be performed by him who is qualified for action. For, it is action that sets the wheel of the world going. – How ? – The answer follows:

itaś cādhikṛtena karma kartavyam | jagac-cakra-pravṛtti-hetur hi karma | kathaṃ? ity ucyate –

From food creatures come forth; the production of food is from rain;
rain comes forth from sacrifice; sacrifice is born of action;

annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-saṃbhavaḥ |
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ ||3.14||

All living creatures, it is evident, are born from food, which, when eaten, is converted into blood and semen. Rain proceeds from sacrifice as taught in the following text from the smṛti:

annād bhuktāl lohita-retaḥ-pariṇatāt pratyakṣaṃ bhavanti jāyante bhūtāni | parjanyād vṛṣṭer annasya saṃbhavo ’nna-saṃbhavaḥ | yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ |

The offering thrown into the fire reaches the sun; from the sun comes rain; from rain food; and from this (food) all creatures.” (Manu 3.76).

agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate |
ādityāj jāyate vṛṣṭir vṛṣṭer annaṃ tataḥ prajāḥ || (Manu 3.76) iti smṛteḥ |

Yajña or sacrifice here spoken of refers to what is called apurva; and this apurva is the result of the activities of the sacrificer and his priests (ritviks) engaged in a sacrifice.

yajño ’pūrvam | sa ca yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ | ṛtvig-yajamānayoś ca vyāpāraḥ karma, tad-samudbhavo yasya yajñasyāpūrvasya sa yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ ||3.14||

 

Rāmānuja

commentary under the verse BhG 3.16

 

Śrīdhara


jagac-cakra-pravṛtti-hetutvād api karma kartavyam ity āha annād iti tribhiḥ | annāt śukra-śoṇita-rūpeṇa pariṇatād bhūtāny utpadyante | annasya ca sambhavaḥ parjanyād vṛṣṭeḥ | sa ca parjanyo yajñād bhavati | sa ca yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ | karmaṇā yajamānādi-vyāpāreṇa samyak sampadyata ity arthaḥ |

agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate |
ādityāj jāyate vṛṣṭir vṛṣṭer annaṃ tataḥ prajāḥ

 

Madhusūdana


na kevalaṃ prajāpati-vacanād eva karma kartavyam api tu jagac-cakra-pravṛtti-hetutvād apīty āha annād iti tribhiḥ | annād bhuktād reto-lohita-rūpeṇa pariṇatād bhūtāni prāṇi-śarīrāṇi bhavanti jāyante | annasya sambhavo janmānna-sambhavaḥ parjanyād vṛṣṭeḥ | pratyakṣa-siddham evaitat | atra karmopayogam āha yajñāt kārīr yāder agnihotrādeś cāpūrvākhyād dharmād bhavati parjanyaḥ | yathā cāgnihotrāhuter vṛṣṭi-janakatvaṃ tathā vyākhyātam aṣṭādhyāyī-kāṇḍe janaka-yājñavalkya-saṃvāda-rūpāyāṃ ṣaṭ-praśnyām | manunā coktam –

agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate |
ādityāj jāyate vṛṣtir vṛṣter annaṃ tataḥ prajāḥ ||[Manu 3.76] iti |

sa ca yajño dharmākhyaḥ sūkṣmaḥ karma-samudbhava ṛtvig-yajamāna-vyāpāra-sādhyaḥ | yajñasya hi apūrvasya vihitaṃ karma kāraṇam

 

Viśvanātha


jagac-cakra-pravṛtti-hetutvād api yajñaṃ kuryād evety āha annād bhūtāni prāṇino bhavantīti bhūtānāṃ hetur annam | annād eva śukra-śoṇita-rūpeṇa pariṇatāt prāṇi-śarīra-siddhes tasyānnasya hetuḥ parjanyaḥ | vṛṣṭibhir evānna-siddhes tasya parjanyasya hetur yajñaḥ | lokaiḥ kṛtena yajñenaiva samucita-vṛṣṭi-prada-megha-siddhes tasya yajñasya hetuḥ karma-ṛtvig-yajamāna-vyāpārātmakatvāt karmaṇa eva yajña-siddheḥ

 

Baladeva


prajāpatinā pareśena prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā tad-upajīvanāya tadaiva yajñaḥ sṛṣṭas tataḥ pareśānubartināvaśyaṃ sakārya ity āha annād iti dvābhyām | bhūtāni prāṇino ‚nnād vrīhy-āder bhavanti | śukra-śoṇita-rūpeṇa pariṇatās tasmāt tad-dehānāṃ siddheḥ | tasyānnasya sambhavaḥ parjanyād vṛṣṭer bhavati | parjanyaś ca yajñād bhavati sidhyatīty arthaḥ |

agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate |
ādityāj jāyate vṛṣṭir vṛṣṭer annaṃ tataḥ prajāḥ || iti manu-smṛteḥ

 
 



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