Text 16] Explanation of Devotional Service 1245
entities because vegetables also have life. Nondevotees are killing cows,
goats and so many other animals for eating purposes, and a devotee who is
vegetarian is also killing. But here, significantly, it is stated that every living
entity has to live by killing another entity; that is the law of nature. Jivo
jivasya jivanam: one living entity is the life for another living entity. But
for a human being, that violence should be committed only as much as
necessary.

A human being is not to eat anything which is not offered to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajna-sistasinah santah: one becomes
freed from all sinful reactions by eating foodstuffs which are offered to
Yajfia, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee therefore eats only
prasdda, or foodstuffs offered to the Supreme Lord, and Krsna says that
when a devotee offers Him foodstuffs from the vegetable kingdom, with
devotion, He eats that. A devotee is to offer to Krsna foodstuffs prepared
from vegetables. If the Supreme Lord wanted foodstuffs prepared from
animal food, the devotee could offer this, but He does not order to do
that.

We have to commit violence; that is a natural law. We should not,
however, commit violence extravagantly, but only as much as ordered by the
Lord. Arjuna engaged in the art of killing, and although killing is, of course,
violence, he killed the enemy simply on Krsna’s order. In the same way, if
we commit violence as it is necessary, by the order of the Lord, that is
called natihirnsa. We cannot avoid violence because we are put into a
conditional life in which we have to commit violence, but we should not
commit more violence than necessary or than ordered by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 16
HARTA SS: |
FIT RAAT TIANA F 112411

mad-dhisnya-darsana-sparsa-
puja-stuty-abhivandanaih

bhiittesu mad-bhavanaya
sattvendsarigamena ca

mat—My; dhisnya—statue; darsana—seeing; sparsa—touching; pija—
worshiping; stuti—praying to; abhivandanaih—by offering obeisances;
bhittesu—in all living entities; mat—of Me; bhavanaya—with thought;
sattvena—by the mode of goodness; asarnigamena—with detachment; ca—and.
