**3.14-3.15:** All beings arise from food. Food is produced from rain. Rain originates from yajna (sacrifice/duty). Yajna is accomplished through prescribed actions. Know that actions arise from the Vedas, and the Vedas have manifested from the Imperishable Brahman. Therefore, that all-pervading Supreme Lord is eternally established in yajna (duty-bound action).
**Commentary:**
**3.14:** 'Annamad bhavanti bhutani' – That which is consumed to sustain the life-force is called 'anna' (food). Here, 'anna' refers to whatever food is suitable for a particular being, the intake of which causes its body's generation, sustenance, and nourishment. For example, an earthworm lives by eating earth; thus, earth is its 'anna'. The four types of beings – those born from a womb (humans, animals, etc.), from vegetation (trees, etc.), from eggs (birds, snakes, ants, etc.), and from moisture (lice, etc.) – all arise from food and, having arisen, remain alive by food.
'Parjanyad annasambhavah' – All edible substances are produced from water. Grass, grains, etc., certainly come from water; even the production of earth is caused by water. All materials for bodily sustenance – food, water, clothing, shelter, etc. – are directly or indirectly related to water, and the basis of water is rain.
'Yajnad bhavati parjanyah' – The word 'yajna' primarily denotes the act of offering oblations. However, according to the tenets of the Gita and the present context of Karmayoga, the word 'yajna' here represents all duty-bound actions. Yajna is characterized primarily by sacrifice. Offering oblations involves sacrificing grains, ghee, etc.; giving charity involves sacrificing possessions; performing austerity involves sacrificing one's pleasures; performing duty-bound actions involves sacrificing one's self-interest, comfort, etc. Therefore, the word 'yajna' represents all scripturally ordained actions like yajna (fire sacrifice), charity, austerity, etc.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad relates a story. Prajapati Brahma created the devas (celestial beings), humans, and asuras (demonic beings) and taught them the syllable 'da'. Due to their abundance of enjoyments, the devas understood 'da' to mean 'damyata' (restrain). Due to their strong tendency to hoard, humans understood 'da' to mean 'datta' (give). Due to their strong inclination towards violence (causing others distress), the asuras understood 'da' to mean 'dayadhvam' (be compassionate). Thus, the essence of the teaching given to all three – devas, humans, and asuras – is to act for the welfare of others. Even today, the clouds roaring 'da da' during the rainy season remind one of Brahma's instruction (restrain, give, be compassionate) in the form of duty-bound actions.
How does performing one's duty lead to rain? The natural impact of one's conduct on others is greater than that of mere words – 'Whatever a great man does, that very thing other men also do' (Gita 3.21). If humans perform their respective duties, it will impact even the devas, who will then also perform their duty of causing rain. (Gita 3.11). There is a story on this subject. Four farmer boys saw that the month of Ashadha had arrived but there was no rain. They thought, "The time for ploughing has come. Even if there is no rain, let us at least perform our duty on time." Thinking thus, they went to the field and began to plough. Peacocks saw them ploughing and wondered, "What is the matter? It hasn't rained yet, so why are they ploughing?" When they learned that the boys were performing their duty, they thought, "Why should we lag behind in performing our duty?" Thinking thus, the peacocks began to call out. Hearing the peacocks' calls, the clouds thought, "How are the peacocks calling out today without hearing our thunder?" Upon learning the whole matter, they thought, "Why should we deviate from our duty?" and they too began to thunder. Hearing the clouds thunder, Indra thought, "What is happening?" When he learned that they were performing their duty, he thought, "Why should I lag behind in performing my duty?" Thinking thus, Indra ordered the clouds to rain.
'Yajnah karmasamudbhavah' – All prescribed worldly and scriptural actions performed with a desireless attitude are called 'yajna'. For a brahmachari (celibate student), performing Agnihotra is yajna. Similarly, for women, cooking is yajna. A practitioner of Ayurveda, if he performs medical service solely for the welfare of people, that is yajna for him. In the same way, a student can consider his studies and a businessman his trade (if performed with a desireless attitude solely for others' welfare) as 'yajna'. Thus, all scripturally ordained duty-bound actions performed with a desireless attitude, respecting the limits of varna, ashrama, place, and time, become of the nature of yajna. Any type of yajna is necessarily born of action.
Even poisons like aconite and nux vomica, when purified and administered as medicine by physicians, become like nectar and serve to cure great diseases. Similarly, desire, possessiveness, attachment, partiality, inequality, self-interest, pride, etc. – all these are like poison in actions. When this poisonous aspect of actions is removed, those actions become nectar-like and serve to remove the great disease of birth and death. Such nectar-like actions alone are called 'yajna'.
'Karma brahmodbhavam viddhi' – The Vedas prescribe the method for performing duty-bound actions (Gita 4.32). Since the knowledge of the method for performing duty-bound actions comes to man from the Vedas, actions are said to arise from the Vedas. The term 'Veda' here should be understood to include the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, along with the Smritis, Puranas, Itihasas (Ramayana, Mahabharata), and the experiential words of the acharyas of various traditions – all scriptures in accordance with the Vedas.
'Brahmaksharasamudbhavam' – Here, the term 'Brahman' denotes the Vedas. The Vedas have manifested from the Supreme Lord, who is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute (Gita 17.23). Thus, the Supreme Lord is the source of all.
From the Supreme Lord, the Vedas manifest. The Vedas prescribe the method for performing duties. Humans perform those duties according to the prescribed method. From the performance of duty-bound actions, yajna occurs; from yajna, rain occurs; from rain, food is produced; from food, beings arise; and from among those beings, humans perform yajna through the performance of duty-bound actions. In this way, this cycle of creation continues.
'Tasmatsarvagatam brahma nityam yajne pratishthitam' – Here, the term 'Brahman' denotes the Imperishable (Saguna-Nirakara Supreme Lord). Therefore, it is the all-pervading Supreme Lord, not the Vedas.
Though all-pervading, the Supreme Lord is always specially present in 'yajna' (duty-bound action). The meaning is that wherever duty-bound action is performed with a desireless attitude, there the Supreme Lord resides. Therefore, humans desiring God-realization can easily attain Him through their duty-bound actions – 'By worshipping Him through his own duty, a man attains perfection' (Gita 18.46).
**Doubt:** If the Supreme Lord is all-pervading, why is He said to be eternally established only in yajna? Is He not eternally established elsewhere?
**Resolution:** The Supreme Lord is indeed equally and eternally present everywhere. He is not non-eternal or localized. That is why He is called 'all-pervading' here. Saying He is eternally established in yajna means that yajna is the place of His attainment. Even though water exists everywhere underground, it is obtained only from wells, etc., not from everywhere. Even though water is present throughout a pipe, it is obtained only from where there is a tap or an opening. Similarly, though all-pervading, the Supreme Lord is attained only through yajna.
Performing actions for oneself and identifying oneself with inert matter (body, etc.) creates an obstacle in attaining the all-pervading Supreme Lord. By performing one's duty with a desireless attitude solely for the welfare of others, this obstacle is removed, and the eternally attained Supreme Lord is spontaneously experienced. This is the reason why the Lord, using many arguments, is especially emphasizing the performance of duty to Arjuna, who wished to abandon his duty.
**Connection:** According to the cycle of creation, the responsibility to act accordingly, i.e., to perform one's duty, lies solely with humans. Therefore, the Lord, in the following verses, admonishes the human who does not perform his duty.
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