Bhagavad Gita 3.14 — The Cycle of Life: Food, Rain, Sacrifice and Action
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः ।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥ ३.१४ ॥
🔊 Listen to meaning of this shloka
Current voice: —
Ready
Text-to-speech is not supported by this browser.
Living beings are sustained by food, and food is produced by rain. Rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of prescribed action.
Transliteration (IAST)
Word Separation
The Sanskrit verse is separated into individual words (Padched) for easier study.
Word Meanings
| Line 1 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| annāt | from food |
| bhavanti | come into being, are sustained |
| bhūtāni | living beings |
| parjanyāt | from rain |
| annasambhavaḥ | the production of food |
| Line 2 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| yajñāt | from sacrifice |
| bhavati | comes into being |
| parjanyaḥ | rain |
| yajñaḥ | sacrifice |
| karmasamudbhavaḥ | born of action, arising from prescribed action |
| Line 1 | Line 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning | Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| annāt | from food | yajñāt | from sacrifice |
| bhavanti | come into being, are sustained | bhavati | comes into being |
| bhūtāni | living beings | parjanyaḥ | rain |
| parjanyāt | from rain | yajñaḥ | sacrifice |
| annasambhavaḥ | the production of food | karmasamudbhavaḥ | born of action, arising from prescribed action |
Detailed Meaning
Introduction
In this verse, Lord Krishna unfolds the grand cosmic chain on which all life depends. Beings arise from food, food from rain, rain from yajña, and yajña from karma. Action, rightly performed, is therefore woven into the very sustenance of the world.
Essence
The wheel of interdependence
Lord Krishna says: "From anna (food) beings come into existence; from parjanya (rain) food is produced; from yajña rain comes about; and yajña is born of karma."
Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (beings arise from food): All living creatures are sustained by food. Our body is literally built from what the earth provides.
Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (food from rain): Food depends on rain, which in turn depends on the delicate balance of nature. No harvest is entirely the farmer's own doing.
Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (rain from yajña): Here, yajña stands for the harmonious, dutiful, and selfless conduct of beings that keeps the order of the world in balance. In the traditional view, ritual offerings were seen as part of this harmony. Seen more broadly, a society that lives in the spirit of offering and responsibility sustains the natural order, while one that exploits it disturbs the cycle.
Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ (yajña arises from karma): The chain ends where it began: with action. Yajña is not possible without work. Someone must act, serve, cultivate, and give for the cycle to continue.
Why action cannot be abandoned
This verse completes the argument that Lord Krishna has been building. Arjuna wanted to withdraw from action. But the whole of life, from the food on our plate to the rain in the sky, is sustained by a web of actions. To step out of it entirely is neither possible nor responsible.
The verse also teaches humility. We are links in a chain, not isolated individuals. Our work matters because it connects to the lives of countless others.
Message for Everyday Life (You Are a Link in a Larger Chain)
When work feels meaningless, remember that every honest contribution, whether a meal cooked, a lesson taught, or a task completed, supports a much larger web of life.
Respect the whole system: Be mindful of how you use resources such as food, water, and energy. Treat them as part of a cycle you depend on, and act in ways that sustain it for others.
The wheel of interdependence
Lord Krishna says: "From anna (food) beings come into existence; from parjanya (rain) food is produced; from yajña rain comes about; and yajña is born of karma."
Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (beings arise from food): All living creatures are sustained by food. Our body is literally built from what the earth provides.
Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (food from rain): Food depends on rain, which in turn depends on the delicate balance of nature. No harvest is entirely the farmer's own doing.
Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (rain from yajña): Here, yajña stands for the harmonious, dutiful, and selfless conduct of beings that keeps the order of the world in balance. In the traditional view, ritual offerings were seen as part of this harmony. Seen more broadly, a society that lives in the spirit of offering and responsibility sustains the natural order, while one that exploits it disturbs the cycle.
Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ (yajña arises from karma): The chain ends where it began: with action. Yajña is not possible without work. Someone must act, serve, cultivate, and give for the cycle to continue.
Why action cannot be abandoned
This verse completes the argument that Lord Krishna has been building. Arjuna wanted to withdraw from action. But the whole of life, from the food on our plate to the rain in the sky, is sustained by a web of actions. To step out of it entirely is neither possible nor responsible.
The verse also teaches humility. We are links in a chain, not isolated individuals. Our work matters because it connects to the lives of countless others.
Message for Everyday Life (You Are a Link in a Larger Chain)
When work feels meaningless, remember that every honest contribution, whether a meal cooked, a lesson taught, or a task completed, supports a much larger web of life.
Respect the whole system: Be mindful of how you use resources such as food, water, and energy. Treat them as part of a cycle you depend on, and act in ways that sustain it for others.
Next Topic
Lord Krishna has traced the chain from food to rain to yajña and back to karma. In the next verse, He takes the final step in this reasoning, showing that karma itself arises from the Veda, the Veda from the Imperishable, and therefore that the all-pervading Brahman is ever established in yajña.
Hidden Messages In This Shloka
Reflect on this verse from different perspectives and see which deeper message opens up for you.
Wisdom Nuggets
Life is a circle in which every gift returns in another form.
What the earth gives, we are called to protect.
A single meal carries the labor of sun, rain, soil, and hands.
Nothing in this world is sustained without action.
The smallest act is linked to the largest cycle.
See the chain behind everything you receive.
Preserve the cycle that sustains you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cycle described in this verse?
What is meant by 'parjanya' (rain)?
How can 'yajña' (sacrifice) bring rain?
What does 'karma-samudbhava' (born of action) mean?
What is the main lesson of this verse?
Explore related topics
More shlokas on the themes this verse touches: