FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.4.9

अन्नं चराणामचरा ह्यपद: पादचारिणाम् । अहस्ता हस्तयुक्तानां द्विपदां च चतुष्पद: ॥ ९ ॥
annaṁ carāṇām acarā
[annam charaanaam acharaa]
hy apadaḥ pāda-cāriṇām
[hy apadah paada-chaarinaam]
ahastā hasta-yuktānāṁ
[ahastaa hasta-yuktaanaam]
dvi-padāṁ ca catuṣ-padaḥ
[dvi-padaam cha chatush-padah]
Word-for-word
annam — food carāṇām — of those that move on wings acarāḥ — the nonmoving (fruits and flowers) hi — indeed apadaḥ — the living entities without legs, like the grass pāda-cāriṇām — of the animals who move on legs, like the cows and buffalo ahastāḥ — animals without hands hasta-yuktānām — of the animals with hands, like the tigers dvi-padām — of human beings, who have two legs ca — and catuḥ-padaḥ — the four-legged animals like the deer.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
annaṁ carāṇām acarā
annam
food
carāṇām
of those that move on wings
acarāḥ
the nonmoving (fruits and flowers)
hi
indeed
hy apadaḥ pāda-cāriṇām
apadaḥ
the living entities without legs, like the grass
pāda-cāriṇām
of the animals who move on legs, like the cows and buffalo
ahastā hasta-yuktānāṁ
ahastāḥ
animals without hands
hasta-yuktānām
of the animals with hands, like the tigers
dvi-padāṁ ca catuṣ-padaḥ
dvi-padām
of human beings, who have two legs
ca
and
catuḥ-padaḥ
the four-legged animals like the deer.
By nature’s arrangement, fruits and flowers are considered the food of insects and birds; grass and other legless living entities are meant to be the food of four-legged animals like cows and buffalo; animals that cannot use their front legs as hands are meant to be the food of animals like tigers, which have claws; and four-legged animals like deer and goats, as well as food grains, are meant to be the food of human beings.
Purport

By nature’s law, or the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one kind of living entity is eatable by other living entities. As mentioned herein, dvi-padāṁ ca catuṣ-padaḥ: the four-legged animals ( catuṣ-padaḥ ), as well as food grains, are eatables for human beings ( dvi-padām ). These four-legged animals are those such as deer and goats, not cows, which are meant to be protected. Generally the men of the higher classes of society — the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas — do not eat meat. Sometimes kṣatriyas go to the forest to kill animals like deer because they have to learn the art of killing, and sometimes they eat the animals also. Śūdras, too, eat animals such as goats. Cows, however, are never meant to be killed or eaten by human beings. In every śāstra, cow killing is vehemently condemned. Indeed, one who kills a cow must suffer for as many years as there are hairs on the body of a cow. Manu-saṁhitā says, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā: we have many tendencies in this material world, but in human life one is meant to learn how to curb those tendencies. Those who desire to eat meat may satisfy the demands of their tongues by eating lower animals, but they should never kill cows, who are actually accepted as the mothers of human society because they supply milk. The śāstra especially recommends, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya: the vaiśya section of humanity should arrange for the food of the entire society through agricultural activities and should give full protection to the cows, which are the most useful animals because they supply milk to human society.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Non-moving plants are food for the moving beings. Beings without legs are food for those with legs. Animals without hands are food for animals with hands. The animals with four legs and plants are food for the human being. Flowers and creepers are food for moving creatures like bees with wings. Grass and other plants, without feet, are food for animals such as cows and buffalo with feet. The animals with feet are food for those with grasping front legs such as tigers. Animals like deer with four legs are food for the human being. Ca indicates also the non-moving entities like grains.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Fruits and flowers are food for insects and birds, grass for cows, and so on — a layered food chain by nature's arrangement. Recognizing this design tempers human arrogance about consumption.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I taking food meant for another category of being?
  • What would 'eating in my appointed niche' look like for me?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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