BG 3.14

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥

annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ | yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ ||

"Action → yajna → rain → food → all beings. Human right-action sustains the entire chain of life."

All public-domain translations

5 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources

Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)

[1]
From food all creatures come into being; food is produced by rain; rain comes from sacrifice; sacrifice is born of action.

Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)

[4]
From food are creatures born, and food is produced from rain; rain proceeds from sacrifice; sacrifice arises from action.

William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)

[6]
From food springs all life; rain produces food; from sacrifice comes rain; and sacrifice is born of action.

Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)

[7]
From food all creatures spring; Food comes from rain; and rain — it comes From sacrifice; and sacrifice is wrought By human deeds.

K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)

[9]
From food are produced all creatures; food is produced from rain; rain proceeds from sacrifice; sacrifice is produced from action.