Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.19.9
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionProsperity Depends on Pleasing the Lord
“King Pṛthu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely.”
What the purport teaches
- Material creation contains the potencies to provide necessities for all living beings, not only humans. Oceans supply jewels, and hills supply chemicals that fertilize the fields.
- The four kinds of food are carvya, chewed; lehya, licked; cūṣya, swallowed; and peya, drunk. These were produced profusely during Pṛthu’s rule.
- People and planetary rulers honored Pṛthu for planning and acting for everyone’s happiness and prosperity. The purport emphasizes that natural provision depends on pleasing the Personality of Godhead through sacrifice.
Try this today
At one meal today, reflect on how the earth’s resources provide food for many kinds of living beings.
Ask yourself
Do I think of prosperity as provision for all living beings, or only for myself?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.