Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 14.31
Grain Nourishes; Crude Dirt Harms
“Replying to the Māyāvāda idea of the child philosopher, mother Śacī said, “My dear boy, if we eat earth transformed into grain, our body is nourished, and it becomes strong. But if we eat dirt in its crude state, the body becomes diseased instead of nourished, and thus it is destroyed.”
What the purport teaches
- Mother Śacī replied affectionately, addressing the child as “My dear boy.”
- She explained that earth transformed into grain nourishes the body and makes it strong.
- Eating dirt in its crude state causes disease instead of nourishment and thus destroys the body.
Try this today
At a meal today, reflect on mother Śacī's distinction between nourishing grain and crude dirt.
Ask yourself
How do the different effects of grain and dirt answer the child's argument?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.