TEXT 47
ahastāni sahastānām
apadāni catuṣ-padām
phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
jīvo jīvasya jīvanam
SYNONYMS
ahastāni — those who are devoid of hands;
sa-hastānām — of those who are endowed with hands;
apadāni — those who are devoid of legs;
catuḥ-padām — of those who have four legs;
phalgūni — those who are weak;
tatra — there;
mahatām — of the powerful;
jīvaḥ — the living being;
jīvasya — of the living being;
jīvanam — subsistence.TRANSLATION
Those without hands, for those with hands;
Those without legs, for four-legged;
The weak, for the strong;
One living being is food for another.
Tag: Food
My friend, the enjoyment of that food is evil which gives pain to the body and evil thoughts to the mind.
The wearing of that dress is evil which gives pain to the body and evil thoughts to the mind.
Thus spake Guru Nanak
A monk should not take food for the sake of (physical) strength, taste, bodily improvement or lustre, but only for acquisition of knowledge, self restraint and meditation.
Dulichand Jain, Thus Spake Lord Mahavir
The chains of agency
“Swamiji, I am puzzled. Following your instruction, suppose I never asked for food, and nobody gives me any. I should starve to death.”
“Die then!” This alarming counsel split the air. “Die if you must Mukunda! Never believe that you live by the power of food and not by the power of God! He who has created every form of nourishment, He who has bestowed appetite, will certainly see that His devotee is sustained! Do not imagine that rice maintains you, or that money or men support you! Could they aid if the Lord withdraws your life-breath? They are His indirect instruments merely. Is it by any skill of yours that food digests in your stomach? Use the sword of your discrimination, Mukunda! Cut through the chains of agency and perceive the Single Cause!”
Autobiography of a yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda
The body needs very little food People eat…
The body needs very little food. People eat to feed their moods.