Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingअन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः
annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaFrom food are born the creatures; the origin of food is from rain; rain originates from sacrifice; sacrifice has action as its source.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
समस्त प्राणी अन्न से उत्पन्न होते हैं अन्न की उत्पत्ति पर्जन्य से। पर्जन्य की उत्पत्ति यज्ञ से और यज्ञ कर्मों से उत्पन्न होता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiअन् नाद् भवन्ति भूतानि
पर्जन् यादन् नसम् भवः
यज्ञाद् भवति पर्जन्यः
यज्ञ% कर्म समुद् भवः
॥ १४ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaannātfrom food
bhavantisubsist
bhūtāniliving beings
parjanyātfrom rains
annaof food grains
sambhavaḥproduction
yajñātfrom the performance of sacrifice
bhavatibecomes possible
parjanyaḥrain
yajñaḥperformance of sacrifice
karmaprescribed duties
samudbhavaḥborn of
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA3.14Trace the wheel: how do food, rain, sacrifice and action feed one another?
From food are born the creatures; the origin of food is from rain; rain originates from sacrifice; sacrifice has action as its source.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.